Google automatically deleted Gmail accounts after nine months of inactivity. Not only were the folders, messages, and labels deleted, the account’s email address was also deleted. Nobody, not even the original owner, could set up a new Gmail account with the same address. The delete process was irreversible.
As of late 2017, Google does not automatically delete inactive Gmail accounts . The company reserves the right to delete accounts that remain inactive for an extended period of time but does not usually do so. Information on the Google Gmail account deletion policy is here for historical purposes.
Will gmail delete inactive accounts?
Google no longer deletes inactive Gmail accounts Your Gmail account is considered inactive when you haven’t accessed it for more than 24 months (two years). If your account becomes inactive, you could lose the data that you stored in Gmail, such as messages, files, pictures, and videos.
One of the next things we wondered was; does Gmail delete inactive emails?
They used to have a stated policy of inactive account deletion as part of the terms of service, as described here, but they got rid of it in 2017. And for a couple of years, they didn’t delete inactive emails.
If yes, after how long? We reserve the right to delete the data in your account after 9 months of inactivity. However, reserving the right is different from declaring that we always will take that action.
While I was writing we ran into the inquiry “Does Gmail delete content that has become inactive?”.
As of June 2021, Google may delete content in Gmail accounts that have become inactive. Your Gmail account is considered inactive when you haven’t accessed it for more than 24 months (two years). If your account becomes inactive, you could lose all the data that you’ve stored in Gmail such as messages, files, pictures, and videos.
When will Google delete data in inactive accounts?
If you have an account with Google cloud services, such as Photos, Drive, or Gmail, your content is subject to being deleted. Inactive accounts will have their data cleaned up after a certain amount of time.
Your Gmail account is considered inactive when you haven’t accessed it for more than 24 months (two years). If your account becomes inactive, you could lose the data that you stored in Gmail, such as messages, files, pictures, and videos. Still, you won’t lose the account.
Is Gmail shutting down for inactive users from June 2021?
Google is shutting down Gmail account of inactive users from June 2021, but there’s a way around it Google will also delete content across Gmail, Photos, and Drive that are over the storage limit.
How do I know if my Google account is still active?
We look at several signals to understand whether you are still using your Google Account. These include your last sign-ins, your recent activity in My Activity, usage of Gmail (e. g, the Gmail app on your phone), and Android check-ins. What happens when your account gets deleted?