Google is actively deleting thousands of Gmail accounts which have remained dormant for longer than two years.
In January this year, Google sent emails to users notifying them about the Inactive Account Policy which would be targeting accounts that have been inactive for at least two years.
If your account has had no action for the last two years, it could be permanently deleted along with all the data in Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.
Vice president of product management at Google, Ruth Kricheli, explains that the reasoning behind this policy lies in security.
Google is constantly investing a considerable amount of resources into making Gmail as secure as possible for its estimated 8 billion users, whether it’s in terms of anti-spam measures, phishing scam protection or account hijacking defence.
However, “Even with these protections,” Kricheli said, “if an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised.”
Gmail accounts that have been idle for over two years are more vulnerable to security attacks, as they most likely do not have updated security measures like Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).
The good news is that your currently inactive Gmail account can still be saved in three simple ways.
Step 1, send an email
To keep your old Gmail account safe from permanent deletion, it's not enough to just log in, you need to send an email and do so at least once every two years to maintain it.
Step 2, watch a YouTube video
To show some activity on your accounts, you need to interact with any of Google’s services like watching a YouTube video while signed into your account.
Step 3, use Google search
Using Google Search to search for the latest news, directions etc., while signed into your account is another easy way to show activity and keep your account safe from deletion.
That is literally all it takes. These three simple actions once every two years is all it takes to show Google that your account is active and prevent it from being flagged for mass deletion,
To protect your account from potential threats, even if you do not use it often, it is also advisable to run a Google Account Security Check-Up and ensure that you have the necessary security measures and they are up to date.