Google Deleting ‘Inactive’ Accounts Starting Dec. 1 — Here's What to Know

The tech giant said the measure is intended for security purposes

Time is fast approaching for those who haven’t been actively using their Google accounts for a while.

Back in May, Google announced that if an account has not been used or signed in for at least two years, that account will be deleted along with its contents, such as Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Meet Drive and Photos beginning Dec. 1.

The tech giant said that the new measure is intended for security purposes.

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“If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised,” Ruth Kricheli, Google vice president of product management, wrote in a blog post. “This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, haven't had two-factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user.

“Our internal analysis shows abandoned accounts are at least 10x less likely than active accounts to have 2-step verification set up,” Kricheli continued. “Meaning, these accounts are often vulnerable, and once an account is compromised, it can be used for anything from identity theft to a vector for unwanted or even malicious content, like spam.”

Kricheli wrote in the May blog post that the company will start to phase out accounts that were created but never used. Google said at the time that it would notify users in advance before deleting an account.

So what can you do to keep your Google account intact if you haven’t signed in for a long time? The company has the following suggestions:

Start logging on to your account before Dec. 1, and at least once every two years

In addition to signing in, doing such things as reading and writing in Gmail, using Google Drive, seeing a YouTube video or performing a Google search will ensure that your account will be active and not deleted.

Accounts associated with YouTube videos will not be affected by the new policy. The measure also applies to only personal accounts, not organizations including businesses and schools.

Provide a recovery email at sign-up

Google recommends an up-to-date recovery email in your account settings, noting that there are tools available for users to back up their information.

“You can download and export your data to other platforms through our Takeout feature, which has been available for over a decade,” Kricheli wrote. “Similarly, Inactive Account Manager allows users to decide what happens to their account and data when it becomes inactive for a period of up to 18 months.”

For additional information about the new measure, the company suggests users visit its Help Center.

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