With Google having already started deleting inactive Gmail and Photo accounts in December 2023, many users have wondered when phase two of the content deletion will start. The initial round of Google account deletions only applied to those that were never used after being created at least two years ago. The answer would appear to be a surprisingly long ten days months. But which accounts are next in line for the data deletion axe? A newly distributed email from Google reveals the details and introduces some confusion.
01/27 updates below. This article was originally published on January 25.
Has Google’s Two-Year Inactive Account Policy Changed?
I received an email on 24 January that informed me that one of my inactive Google accounts is lined up for deletion, along with any Gmail, Photos, and Docs content, on 20 September. The dates are important as the email states “your Google Account has not been used in at least 8 months.” Now, a little basic math informs me that eight months of inactivity plus another eight until that deadline expires totals 16 months. Yet Google’s updated inactive account policy defines an inactive account, for the purposes of said deletion, as one that has not been used “across Google for at least two years.” Which leaves a difference of another eight months in all.
I have reached out to Google for clarification on what is defined as an inactive account. Users relying upon previous instructions regarding the safekeeping of Gmail and Photos content important to them could feasibly see that content deleted way ahead of what they might reasonably expect.
Inactive Google Account Policy Exceptions
Google lists several exceptions to the inactive account deletion policy, including:
- Using the account to purchase any Google product or app with a current subscription, including digital books or movie purchases.
- Having a monetary balance on a gift card in your Google account.
- Managing an active ‘minor account’ with the Family Link feature of a Google account.
- Being the owner of a published app or game with active subscriptions on the Google Play Store with that account linked to it.
Why Is Google Purging Accounts And Associated Gmail And Photos Data?
Google states that the primary reason for deleting inactive accounts is to improve security and reduce the risk of compromise. The thinking is that such accounts may have old, weak, or reused passwords that are easier to compromise. Especially when you factor in the analysis from Google that such accounts are ten times less likely than maintained ones to have two-factor verification activated as an additional layer of account security.
What You Need To Do Now To Protect Your Gmail And Photos Content From Deletion
So, how do you stop Google deleting your Gmail and Photos data in the continuing 2024 purge?
Google users with a single Gmail or Google Photos account, just the one Google account, in other words, that has been used within the last 16 months to be on the safe side, need not do anything. Your account isn’t considered inactive at this time and your content is safe.
Things change if you have multiple accounts, which many of us do to use as burner emails or backups of email and photo content, for example. If there is content you care about stored within these accounts, and you haven’t signed in for many months, you must take action as soon as possible. That action can be as simple as signing into that account and doing so regularly moving forward.
01/27 update:
Here’s One Delete Option Gmail Users Will Welcome
Everyone hates spam, well maybe not the marketing folk responsible for generating much of it, but it certainly ranks highly among everyday email user annoyances. Gmail has more than 1.8 billion users at the last count, and spam is a constant concern. To be fair, Gmail’s built-in spam filtering functionality works OK most of the time. It doesn’t catch everything that should be marked as spam, and it does false-flag genuine email messages somewhat too much for my liking, but as features go, it’s an essential one. Some spam, however, doesn’t fall into the black-and-white definition bin: what about newsletters or updates that you may have subscribed to but no longer want to receive? Reporting this as spam is a bit mean, to say the least, so Google separating the ‘report spam’ and ‘unsubscribe’ options in Gmail is a most welcome addition to user functionality. As is moving that unsubscribe option out of the hardly ever visited three-dot ‘more’ menu for Android and iOS users, giving it much more visibility in the conversation view as well. You should have spotted this update by now if you are an Android user; if not, then make sure you go and update your Gmail app, as it will be with you sooner rather than later. If you are an iPhone user, then you will have to wait a little longer, but it is coming.
And One That Google Assistant Users Will Not
Google appears to be on a determined drive to delete stuff, and we now know it’s not just restricted to data stored using inactive accounts impacting the likes of Gmail, Google Photos and Google Docs. Functionality is also on the Google hit list with Google Assistant features front and center. This weekend will see the start of the cutbacks, with users being notified of the date after which they will no longer be able to activate them. The complete list of Google Assistant features that will be deactivated has been published by Google’s support team and impacts services including Google Play Books, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Nest and even Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 devices. If you have been using voice commands for any of these things, then, according to 9To5Google you have until February 26th when the final axe will fall.
