Gmail accounts deleted within three months: Who is affected?

Starting December 1, Google will be deleting some Gmail accounts. How do you avoid this and identify affected accounts?

This approach is starting to worry users. In May, Google warned. Some Gmail accounts, along with all their data, will be deleted starting December 1. By linking these accounts to Google Drive, you will lose emails, but also documents or Drive documents, calendar, and photos from Google Photos.

But the good news is that not all accounts will be targeted. Here’s everything you need to know to escape this deletion.

“Inactive” accounts to monitor

This initiative came as a result of a change in Google’s policy regarding “inactive” accounts. This means those that have not been used for two years. As a result, basic accounts are not at the top of the list.

There is no need to panic a priori. However, a secondary account that does not require frequent sign-in, may store outdated data, or has been used to subscribe to newsletters is affected.

Of course, Google will not delete any account without notifying the user. Mountain View has indicated that it will start with accounts that were created and never used. Unfortunately, once the account is deleted, it will not be possible to keep the same username to create a new account. Therefore, Google called on its users to be extremely careful.

However, an account with no activity can be saved thanks to an alert sent to the recovery email address, which was set when it was created.

Simple solutions to follow

The best way to save your account is to log in at least once every two years. Another solution is to link any subscription to the account, to keep it active.

Other methods also exist. In particular, by making sure you use Google Drive, watch Youtube videos, and perform Google searches using your account. Or download the application from the Google Play Store.

Obviously, the best thing you can do is to check your Gmail account and edit it if necessary. This verification will enhance its security and may also be a good opportunity to sort certain documents.