Google is Deleting In-Active Gmail Accounts: Here’s How to Prevent it!

Google recently updated its inactive accounts policy, which could impact your old Gmail accounts. According to the tech giant, unused accounts are more susceptible to security breaches.

Hence, to ensure privacy and security, Google has decided to begin deleting older Gmail accounts starting next week. This action will also remove all data associated with the account, including emails, Drive files, Photos, Contacts, and other documents.

Is your Google Account at Risk of Being Deleted?

Google officially announced plans in May 2023 to delete older inactive accounts. Based on internal data, such accounts are ten times less likely to have two-factor authentication enabled compared to active accounts.

This vulnerability makes older accounts ripe targets for cyber-attacks. Furthermore, external services linked to these accounts also risk getting compromised if the Gmail account is misplaced.

Therefore, Google has decided to delete accounts that have not been used in the last two years. Inactive accounts will start getting removed as early as December 2023 in small batches.

How to Stop your Google Account from Being Deleted?

Google provides some simple measures to keep your account active and prevent it from getting deleted. Users must sign into their account at least once every two years to maintain their Gmail account's active status.

Certain activities also help keep the account active in Google's records. These activities include reading or sending an email, using Google Drive, watching a YouTube video, downloading an app on the Google Play Store, using Google Search, and signing in with Google to a third-party app or service.

Google's Shift from Free Services

Google seems to be aiming to convert some free users into paying subscribers. The company recently announced the discontinuation of free unlimited WhatsApp backups, which will now count against the 15GB free storage quota of your Gmail account.

A few years ago, Google stopped its unlimited Google Photos backups, which were once a significant selling point for the company. As more Google services end their free unlimited storage policy, many Gmail users may have to purchase extra Google Drive storage. This new policy of deleting older inactive accounts will not only reduce security concerns but also free up a lot of storage space on Google's servers.

If you have an In-active Google Account, Act Now!

To sum up, Google's new policy to delete inactive accounts is a significant move towards enhancing user security and optimizing server space. If you have an old inactive account, it may be time to log in again to keep it active.

Google's shift from free services also indicates a market trend towards more premium, paid services. So, if you have an old account tied to memories you'd like to keep, set up reminders to log in every now and then. Otherwise, Google may erase your digital nostalgia.