Google is cleaning up inactive accounts that have been dormant for at least two years. To avoid unpleasant surprises and to retrieve documents, emails, and other photos stored in these old accounts, here are the steps to follow:
Starting on December 1, 2023, Google has the authority to suspend and purge data from any inactive account, referring to those that haven’t been utilized for a minimum of two years. If you find yourself in this situation and wish to retain your account, here’s what you need to do:
Google is committed to deleting all content from the accounts in question, including emails, photos, and various documents created and stored on the platform. If you have left an old account inactive but want to prevent its contents from disappearing permanently, follow these steps.
How to Reactivate an Old Google Account
To reactivate an old Google account, simply log in once without any specific action. Performing activities such as conducting a Google search, reading an email, checking YouTube or Drive, and even downloading a mobile application from the account are sufficient to make it active. Google ensures to send multiple notifications before deleting the account, including to a recovery address if one has been provided.
It’s important to note that this process applies only to personal accounts, not those associated with an employer, school, or any organization. It also does not apply to Google One paid accounts.
Google Takeout to Avoid Nasty Surprises
To avoid unpleasant surprises in the coming weeks, it is highly recommended to log in to old, sometimes forgotten accounts. If you find documents of varying importance, you can transfer them to your main account using Google Takeout. Select all your data to download and then copy them, service by service, to your other account. This way, you won’t need to worry about the maintenance of your old account.