Do you have an old Gmail? This will prevent Google from removing it

Google has announced that it will permanently delete old accounts from Gmail. Do you use Gmail on your iPhone? We explain how to save your account!

Google deletes old Gmail accounts

Google is going to have a stricter policy when it comes to old (unused) Gmail accounts. In 2020, the company already announced that it would delete all content from an inactive Gmail account. The account itself will still exist. That will now change, because soon the entire account will also be removed by Google.

Also read: Multitasking with Gmail: this is how you do it

If you have not used your account for too long, your email address will be deleted and you will no longer have access to all the data that was in Gmail. This includes your Gmail messages, calendar, Drive, Google Docs, and Google Photos. It is therefore important that you are sure that Google will not delete your Gmail if you still have files in it. We explain how to prevent this.

This is how you prevent your Gmail from being deleted

If you do not want your Gmail to be deleted, you must meet certain requirements from Google. According to Google, a Gmail account is inactive if you haven’t logged into it or used the email address in the past two years. If you have used one of Google’s services or used your Gmail for any other activity, Google will consider your account active. This applies to the following:

• Reading or sending an email via Gmail;
• using Google Drive;
• Watching a YouTube video;
• Downloading an app from the Google Play Store;
• using Google Search;
• Logging into apps or services with your Gmail account.

So if you’ve used one of these services in the past two years, you’re fine. It is of course important that you were logged in via your Gmail account.

Google wants to prevent accounts from being hacked

With this new policy, Google tries to prevent old accounts from being hacked. These old accounts often don’t have two-step verification, making them more vulnerable to hackers. If you use the same password for such an old Gmail as for other accounts, it can cause quite a bit of trouble if that password is cracked. This is what Google wants to prevent.

Also read: This is how you use dark mode in Gmail on your iPhone or iPad

That does not mean that Google will delete all old and unused Gmail addresses. Accounts with YouTube videos will continue to exist, as the videos may have historical value. If you use Gmail for an educational institution, you don’t have to worry, according to Google.

Gmail accounts will be deleted from the end of this year

The deletion of unused Gmail accounts will start from December 2023. According to Google, you will first receive an email stating that your account will be deleted. In addition, Google will point Gmail users to the Inactive Account Manager. Through this function you have to set what happens if your account is not used for 18 consecutive months.

Are you still unsure whether your account is seen as inactive by Google? Then it is wise to open your Gmail once and send an email. This way you can be sure that Google will not delete your Gmail.

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