Google starts warning users it will delete inactive accounts (with caveats)

Google recently announced that it will start deleting Google accounts that have been inactive for two years. Now, the company is making sure everyone knows about it, sending Gmail users a message informing people about the account inactive account policy. These messages are being sent to all Gmail users, not only to Gmail accounts that could affected by deletion.

How to recognize Google account deletion emails

Google’s emails use the subject line “Updating our Google Account inactivity policy” and come from the address “no-reply@accounts.google.com.” In it, Google delivers a high-level summary of the new account deletion policy:

“We are updating the inactivity period for a Google Account to two years across all our products and services. This change starts rolling out today and will apply to any Google Account that’s been inactive, meaning it has not been signed into or used within a two-year period. An inactive account and any content in it will be eligible for deletion from December 1, 2023.”

In the following section, Google explains that only those users are affected who “have been inactive in your Google Account for two years or have not used your account to sign in to any Google service for over two years.”

Google emphasizes in the email that although the changes would take effect today (13 August 2023), it will delete accounts in December 2023 at the earliest.

What happens if your inactive Google account may be deleted

If Google deems your account inactive, it will send several reminder emails to both the affected email address and your account recovery email address (if you provided one) before taking action or deleting account content. Google intends to send these reminder emails at least eight months in advance. So you have plenty of time.

After Google has deleted a Google account, the Gmail address of the deleted account can no longer be used to create a new Google account.

Further reading: 5 tips to make Gmail more secure

How to prevent Google account deletion

Google explains how easy it is to prevent a Google account from being deleted: “The simplest way to keep a Google Account active is to sign in to the account at least once every two years. If you have signed in to your Google Account recently in the past two years, your account is considered active and will not be deleted.”

Alternatively, you can also prevent deletion by doing the following:

• Read or send an email
• Use Google Drive
• Watch a YouTube video
• Share a photo
• Download an app
• Use Google Search
• Use “Sign in via Google” to sign in to a third-party app or service

Google notes that there may well be exceptions to the above policy, such as for a Google Account with YouTube channels, videos, or comments; an account with a gift card with monetary value; or an account with a published app, such as an account that hosts an app in the Google Play Store.

This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de.