On December 1st, 2023, Google Will Delete Millions of Gmail Accounts -- How to Avoid Losing Yours

Google to delete millions of Gmail accounts.Photo byPhoto by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

On December 1st 2023, Google will delete millions of inactive Gmail accounts.

The process aims to enhance security by removing accounts that have been dormant in the past 2 years. The rationale being that forgotten accounts often rely on recycled passwords -- making them a target for fraud and cyper attack.

In a blog post, Google's Vice President of Product Management Ruth Kricheli, writes,

"If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised....Our internal analysis shows abandoned accounts are at least 10x less likely than active accounts to have 2-step-verification set up."

Google Will Roll Out Changes "Slowly and Carefully"

In another statement, Google shared:

"If a Google Account has not been used or signed into for at least 2 years, we may delete the account and its contents – including content within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar) and Google Photos.”

But, Ruth's post outlines that Google looks to provide users with plenty of notice, rolling changes out "slowly and carefully":

• The policy has already taken effect but it will not immediately impact users with an inactive account — the earliest account will begin being deleted in December 2023.
• Google will start with accounts that were created and never used again.
• Before deleting an account, Google will send multiple notifications to both the account email address and the recovery email (if one has been provided).

You may have already started receiving emails notifying you of the rollout.

How to Avoid Getting Your Account Deleted

Since Google is targeting accounts that have been dormant for over 2 years, the simplest way to Keep your Gmail acount safe is to sign-in. According to Ruth's post,

"If you have signed into your Google Account or any of our services recently, your account is considered active and will not be deleted."

And, just to be safe, you can show "activity" on your account after signing in by:

• Using Google Drive
• Using Google Search
• Watching a YouTube video
• Reading or sending an email
• Downloading an app on the Google Play Store
• Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service

Ruth also added,

If you have an existing subscription set up through your Google Account, for example to Google One, a news publication or an app, we also consider this account activity and your account will not be impacted. Additionally, we do not have plans to delete accounts with YouTube videos at this time.

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