Google will soon delete inactive accounts; Check yours if you haven't used it for a while

In its latest policy update, Google has announced a significant change for inactive accounts. The tech giant has said that it will delete all Google accounts that have not been used or signed into for at least two years. Notably, this update will be applicable to almost all Google products including Google Ads, Gmail, Google Photos, Drive, and YouTube, all of which have not been used within a 2-year period.

The decision comes as a part of Google’s ongoing efforts to prioritise user security and reduce the risks associated with maintaining inactive accounts.

"Google also reserves the right to delete data in a product if you are inactive in that product for at least two years. This is determined based on each product's inactivity policies," Google said in its statement.

Google's new account policy

As per Google's recent blog post, its new policy will take effect this year, from December 2023, as a result of which all the content stored in users' inactive accounts will be deleted.

Google to notify before deleting the account

While users still have the time to save their Google accounts, it is notable that the tech giant will notify users in advance before deleting their accounts. As per the latest reports, it plans to start the deletion process at the earliest by December 2023. However, multiple notifications will be sent to the e-mail address and also the recovery mail id (if provided any) before deleting the inactive accounts.

How to save your Google account?

If you also have an inactive Google account that you have not used for a while and still want to retain it, it's time you reactivate it by logging in or by performing a few basic tasks.

As listed by Google itself, users can perform the following actions to ensure that there are certain activities on their accounts.

1. Reading or sending an email

2. Using Google Drive

3. Watching a YouTube video

4. Downloading an app on the Google Play Store

5. Using Google Search

6. Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service

In the meantime, the new policy will only affect personal accounts and those used by organisations like schools or businesses.