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Google will begin deleting inactive accounts on December 1, 2023. Accounts will be considered inactive if they have not been signed into for two years. This policy will affect all Google accounts, including Gmail, Drive, Photos, and YouTube.
Google is implementing this policy to enhance account security. It says that inactive accounts are more susceptible to compromise because they might have outdated or reused passwords, lack two-factor authentication, and receive fewer security checks from the account owner. This move aims to reduce the risk associated with forgotten or unattended accounts by removing them if they remain inactive for an extended period. If you have an account that you haven’t used since 2021, you may lose it under this new policy.
This deletion will take place in phased manner. Google says it will send multiple notifications both to the email that is eligible for deletion as well as the recovery email before taking action. Google is taking this step to free up storage space and improve the performance of its services. You can avoid having your account deleted by signing in at least once every two years.
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To avoid this deletion, you can also take steps like using Google Drive, accessing Google search, watching a YouTube video, downloading any app on the Google Play Store, or using Google to sign in to a third-party app or service. These are actions that can help you keep your account.
However, there are a few exceptions to this policy that can also help save your account from deletion. These are:
- Your Google Account was used to make a purchase of a Google product, app, service, or subscription that is current or ongoing.
- Your Google Account contains a gift card with a monetary balance.
- Your Google Account owns a published application or game with ongoing, active subscriptions or active financial transactions associated with them. This might be a Google Account that owns an App on the Google Play store.
- Your Google Account manages an active minor account with Family Link.
- Your Google Account has been used to purchase a digital item, for example, a book or movie.
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