Secure Your Google Account: Prevent Deletion in 48 Hours

If you haven’t used a Google account in a while, consider doing so this week. Starting December 1st, inactive accounts, including services like Gmail and YouTube, that have been idle for two years or more will begin to be deleted by the company. Once a Google Account is deleted, the Gmail address associated with that account cannot be reused when establishing a new Google Account.

Google works tirelessly every day to ensure the safety and security of both you and your private information. This is achieved by employing built-in security measures to prevent any unauthorized access to your Google Account. Upholding your safety involves implementing robust privacy practices across Google’s products, with a focus on minimizing the duration for which Google retains your personal files and associated data. Google’s commitment is to protect your private information and prevent unauthorized access to your account, even if you decide to discontinue using Google’s services.

How will the content in their Google account be affected?

Most Gmail and Photos users don’t need to worry about content deletions because the majority of the 1.8 billion Gmail users and 2 billion Google Photos users have active accounts, ensuring the safety of their content.

In May, Google announced a plan to delete accounts inactive for two years, and this policy is set to take effect from December 1st, 2023. This means anything saved in Gmail, YouTube, Photos, Docs, Drive, Meet, and Calendar might be removed.

As per Google’s policy, users have signed into their accounts in the last two years. Even with just a 1% estimate, this could affect 18 million Gmail users and 20 million Google Photos users, putting a substantial number of messages and photos at risk of deletion.

Inactive Google Account Policy

The company explained during the policy announcement that its main concern was security. Accounts not used for a long time are more vulnerable to compromise, and inactive accounts are 10 times less likely to have two-factor verification, which confirms a user’s identity. Below are the listed outlines of Google’s Policy.

• An inactive Google Account is one that hasn’t been used in a 2-year period.
• Google may delete an inactive Google Account, along with its activity and data, if you remain inactive across Google for at least two years.
• Exceptions:
  • This policy is specific to personal Google Accounts.
  • Accounts set up through work, school, or other organizations are exempt from this policy.
• Google also has the right to delete data within a product if you are inactive in that specific product for at least two years.
  • Inactivity is assessed based on each product’s individual inactivity policies.

Best 7 Strategies to Avoid the Deletion of Your Google Account

The following list outlines the most effective 7 strategies to prevent the deletion of your Google account.

• Sign in with Google:
  • Utilizing the “Sign in with Google” feature for third-party apps or service logins.
• App Downloads:
  • Downloading applications on your device.
• YouTube Engagement:
  • Watching videos on the YouTube platform.
• Email Activities:
  • Reading or sending emails through your Google account.
• Google Search:
  • Conducting searches using Google’s search engine.
• Photo Sharing:
  • Sharing photos through Google services.
• Google Drive Usage:
  • Interacting with Google Drive for file storage and collaboration.

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