Google is removing private accounts that have been gathering digital dust for two years. If you have an old Gmail or Google account that you haven't used in a while, you should sign in now before it gets deleted. This means all related services such as Google Docs, Drive, Calendar, Photos, etc. will also be stopped.
When will Google delete accounts?
Plans to delete unused profiles were announced in May. Deletion is expected to begin in December, starting with accounts that have been created but are no longer in use.
Google says that before an account is deleted, it will send multiple warnings over the months leading up to the deletion date, both via the registered email address itself and the recovery email provided.
How can I prevent Google from deleting my account?
Make sure to log in at least every two years. Accounts or connected services with recent activity are considered active and will remain active. Read and send email, use Drive and YouTube, download Android apps, search the web, sign in to linked third-party apps, and subscribe to paid subscriptions like Google One and news sites through your account. , everything is important.
Google also offers an inactive account manager that lets you decide what happens to your account and files after 18 months of inactivity, including B. Automatically forward to a trusted account, set up an auto-reply, or delete everything immediately.
But perhaps the best option is to upload videos to YouTube so that your account doesn't get deleted if it's not used. Such accounts appear to be safe for the time being.
Why did Google decide to delete accounts?
According to the company's official blog post in May, this is an attempt to protect users from hackers. Forgotten accounts tend to use old or reused passwords that may have already been compromised, and don't have two-factor protection authentication capabilities. There is almost no security check from the actual owner.
According to an internal Google analysis, accounts that are inactive are at least ten times less likely than those that are actively used to have that extra login protection enabled. This makes them easy targets for identity theft, spamming, and other unpleasant misuses.