Google to delete inactive accounts starting December 2023: Here's how to prevent them from being deleted

Google is updating its inactivity policy for Google Accounts across various products. Starting later this year, if a Google Account remains unused or not signed into for a period of 2 years, Google may delete the account and its associated content, including data within Google Workspace (such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, and Calendar), YouTube, and Google Photos, the tech giant said on Tuesday.

Google plans to roll out this update gradually and with ample notice. Although the policy takes effect May 16, the deletion of inactive accounts will not begin until December 2023 at the earliest. The phased approach will initially target accounts that were created but have never been used.

Before an account is deleted, multiple notifications will be sent over several months to both the account's email address and the recovery email (if provided), ensuring users have ample opportunity to take any necessary actions to prevent deletion.

Notably, this policy applies solely to personal Google Accounts and will not impact accounts for organizations like schools or businesses. The update aligns Google's retention and account deletion practices with industry standards while also reducing the retention period for unused personal information.

"Our internal analysis shows abandoned accounts are at least 10x less likely than active accounts to have 2-step verification set up. Meaning, these accounts are often vulnerable, and once an account is compromised, it can be used for anything from identity theft to a vector for unwanted or even malicious content, like spam," Google wrote in a blog post.

To keep your Google Account active and prevent it from being deleted, the easiest method is to simply sign in at least once every 2 years. By doing so, your account will be considered active and will not be subject to deletion.

If you have active subscriptions, such as Google One, a news publication, or an app, Google considers this account activity. This means your account will not be impacted by the updated inactivity policy.