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Your Old Gmail Account Maybe Deleted by Google

Last May, Google announced that Gmail accounts that have not been used in 2 years will soon be deleted. These old accounts are ripe for spammers to use, and you could lose more than you realize. There are a few exceptions listed in the policy found here. This article is a dive into what this means for you and your business.

First, as a marketing consultant, I have urged all business owners to move away from personal @gmail.com use for business for several reasons. Namely, this practice leaves your company vulnerable and is simply unprofessional. You want your business email to reflect your commitment to data security and complement your brand. You must take action without hesitation if you use any free personal email service for your business!

Whenever I receive an email from an @gmail.com account proposing they are a business of any kind, I mark it as spam and never reply. It’s a matter of credibility. Consumers are more confident in the intent of a business that uses the @url.com ending of the business for email communication. Use this link for a discount on Google Workspace as a great alternative to secure your business communications. (More on this in the next blog post; stay tuned!)

So an old Google account you have not used in ages to send or receive email suddenly disappears, no big, right?

 

Let's look at how Google views an active account:

  • 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

How you and your small business is affected

Google is deleting any Gmail accounts that are over two years old that do not answer the above activities. These inactive Gmail accounts are vulnerable to identity theft. Partly because they have no 2-factor authentication and old passwords have been compromised along the way.

Not only are your old emails getting deleted, but all your G-Drive files are lost, including any shared files. Google Photos associated with that account are now lost. Google Meet recordings are gone. Have any Google Ads, Analytics, or Google Business Profiles with that old email? Not anymore!

Any 3rd party subscriptions, such as Hulu, where your old Gmail address was used as your account login, are also impacted.

YouTube is not affected, but it is best to revisit it just in case!

Account deletion notification from Google and next steps

Any other email you had attached to the old Gmail account as a backup security or recovery email will be sent a notice. In fact, you should have received notice of this first round within the last 30-60 days.

You can take steps to make it appear active by

  • Sign in at least once every two years
  • Reading or Sending an email
  • Use Google Drive
  • Use just about any Google product under that email log-on

Want to delete the account but save the data first? Use Google Takeout (aka Download Your Data) allows users to download and archive all data associated with a specific Google account. It is a fairly simplistic tool and a valuable one! I recommend setting up Google Vault as your email backup safety net for Google Workspace users. Note that you cannot transfer ownership to another Gmail account!

Google support provided account recovery options for when you delete your account yourself, but it is still unclear if this applies to any account or data they delete from an inactive account. 

Gmail Deletion Wrap Up

Don’t forget about your old Google accounts! 

I’ve long advised clients to use a professional email platform that utilizes your website domain, and now is the best time to invest in that process. Your clients, customers, patients, and peers are not impressed with a mybusiness@gmail.com email account. Time to add polish and heightened security to your branding!

Use this link to get a discount on your Google Workspace account and step into business communications evolution!

For questions on migrating to the full line of Google products to save you and your staff time and improve operational efficiency, send us an email or schedule a time on Calendly.