Google, which is one of the most popular search engines and storage platforms in the world, has recently announced that it is planning to delete inactive accounts that have been unused for two years in a bid to free up storage and reduce their operational costs. The said account policy will only apply to individual accounts and not those belonging to businesses paying monthly fees. Although Google has promised to send multiple reminders to account holders before deleting their inactive accounts, it still begs the question of whether or not you will lose your data.
According to the support system of Google, signing in at least once every two years constitutes activity on an account. Actions such as reading or sending emails, watching YouTube videos, downloading Google Play apps, and using Google Drive or Search are also included. The storage provider Google One and visiting the Google Photos app or website, or uploading a photo every two years, also count towards activity.
The deletions will start in December 2023, with Google promising to send multiple reminders to account holders. Google has decided to delete inactive accounts with no access or logins in the last two years to free up usernames. This new policy applies only to personal Google accounts and not business or school ones. Users will receive emails before their account is deleted, and Google Drive, YouTube, Calendar, Docs, Meet, and Google Photos data will be lost with the account.
If you have data or information stored in your Google account that you do not want to lose, it’s important to keep your account active. This can simply involve using Google’s ‘Sign in with Google’ feature to access third-party apps or services, downloading an app on the Google Play Store, using Google’s search engine, viewing a YouTube video, or emailing activity. Alternatively, having a subscription set up under that account to Google One will be seen by Google as active, and your data will remain safe.
In conclusion, Google’s decision to delete inactive accounts is understandable, as it aims to free up storage and reduce operational costs. However, it’s important for individuals to know that their data may be at risk if their accounts become inactive for more than two years. By keeping your account active through any of the above-mentioned means, you can ensure that your data remains safe and that you do not lose access to your Google account.
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