This year, Google will "toughen up" its policy regarding inactive Gmail accounts.
Those who want to keep their Gmail account will have to log in at least once every 24 months as Google has announced a new policy for inactive accounts. According to the "old rules" from 2020, when the infinite space for Google Photos was abolished, Google deleted data stored on accounts if the user had not logged in for two years, but starting this year, such accounts will be completely deleted.
The new rule comes into effect in December this year at the earliest, so those who want to keep their Gmail account should log in. Google claims that the removed Gmail addresses will no longer be available, both to their original users and to others.
Gmail account activity refers to reading or sending emails, using Google Drive, watching YouTube, downloading apps from the Google Play Store, using Google Search, or using the account to sign in to third-party apps or services.
However, these activities do not cover common uses of Google accounts such as creating aliases that forward email to a primary address, and it is unclear whether such accounts will be removed. Google mentions that maintaining a subscription to something like Google One is one mode of activity, but it's not something you do with an alternate account.
When the new rules come into force, the company will start deleting accounts that have not been "touched" even after creation, and also intends to send more notifications to the address and an alternative email in the period of several months before the final deletion.
Those who want to keep their Gmail account will have to log in at least once every 24 months as Google has announced a new policy for inactive accounts. According to the "old rules" from 2020, when the infinite space for Google Photos was abolished, Google deleted data stored on accounts if the user had not logged in for two years, but starting this year, such accounts will be completely deleted.
The new rule comes into effect in December this year at the earliest, so those who want to keep their Gmail account should log in. Google claims that the removed Gmail addresses will no longer be available, both to their original users and to others.
Gmail account activity refers to reading or sending emails, using Google Drive, watching YouTube, downloading apps from the Google Play Store, using Google Search, or using the account to sign in to third-party apps or services.
However, these activities do not cover common uses of Google accounts such as creating aliases that forward email to a primary address, and it is unclear whether such accounts will be removed. Google mentions that maintaining a subscription to something like Google One is one mode of activity, but it's not something you do with an alternate account.
When the new rules come into force, the company will start deleting accounts that have not been "touched" even after creation, and also intends to send more notifications to the address and an alternative email in the period of several months before the final deletion.