As part of its efforts to prevent security lapses, Google has announced that starting it will begin deleting unused accounts starting from December 2023. This means that if you haven’t logged in to an account for a period of two years or longer that it’s likely to be erased by Google.
According to a statement posted on The Keyword, Google says that ‘these abandoned accounts are at least 10 times less likely’ to have 2-step verification set up than active accounts. Unused or abandoned accounts are often vulnerable and once compromised, can be used for anything from identity theft to a source of spam or even malicious content.
Google says it will roll this out gradually and carefully, and give plenty of notice before doing so:
- While the policy takes effect today, it will not immediately impact users with inactive accounts — the earliest we will begin deleting accounts is December 2023.
- We will take a phased approach, starting with accounts that were created and never used again.
- Before deleting an account, we will send multiple notifications over the months leading up to deletion, to both the account email address and the recovery email (if one has been provided).
How to keep your account active
The simplest way to keep a Google Account active is to sign in at least once every 2 years. If you have signed into your Google Account or any of our services recently, your account is considered active and will not be deleted. The activity might include these types of actions you take when you sign in or while you’re signed in to your Google Account:
- Reading or sending an email
- Using Google Drive
- Watching a YouTube video
- Downloading an app on the Google Play Store
- Using Google Search
- Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service
If you have an existing subscription set up through your Google Account, for example to Google One, a news publication, or an app, we also consider this account activity, and your account will not be impacted.
