When was the last time you logged into your Google account? If you can't remember, you may want to fix that immediately. Google is planning to begin deleting inactive accounts soon, and unless you do something about it, you'll lose all of your emails and photos.
Why Is Google Deleting User Accounts?
Google Support states that inactive accounts are more likely to be compromised and used for malicious activity than active ones. It makes a lot of sense; an old account likely never got two-factor authentication added as an additional security measure, making them easier to crack open and use for cybercriminal activity.
As such, on December 1st, 2024, Google will begin deleting accounts that have not seen activity for two years. However, it's worth noting that "This policy applies to your personal Google Account. This policy doesn't apply to any Google Account that was set up for you through your work, school, or other organization." So "managed accounts" will be fine, but any personal Google Accounts will be deleted.
How to Prevent Google From Deleting Your Account
Fortunately, showing Google that your account is still in use is easy. All you need to do is perform one of the actions listed in the Inactive Google Account Policy:
- Reading or sending an email
- Using Google Drive
- Watching a YouTube video
- Sharing a photo
- Downloading an app
- Using Google Search
- Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service
If you're worried that your account may be on the chopping block, you can ensure its safety by logging into it and emailing another of your accounts. If you don't have any other accounts, search for something on Google or watch a video on YouTube, and you're good to go. You could use it to sign in somewhere, but there are reasons why you shouldn't use "Sign up with Google", so keep that in mind.
With potentially millions of Google accounts at risk, it's worth ensuring that yours isn't caught up in the big deletion wave come December 1st. Log in, do something that proves your account is active, and you'll have nothing to worry about.