Sign in to Your Old Google Accounts Before They Are Deleted
We used to say that the internet is written in ink: everything you do online will stay online forever. However, today it is obvious how wrong this is. Links all over the web no longer lead anywhere, YouTube videos disappear forever, and now Google is ready to keep killing the past as it plans to delete any Google account it considers “inactive”.
Why is Google deleting old accounts?
Google announced on Tuesday that it has updated its inactivity policy for Google accounts to read: If an account hasn’t been used or signed in for at least two years, Google can delete the accounts and their data. This includes Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar) and Google Photos content.
The rationale for Google’s decision is based on security. According to the company, an account that hasn’t been accessed for more than two years is likely compromised because these accounts frequently use leaked passwords, lack 2FA, or have fewer security settings. While this idea may have some merit (Google says abandoned accounts are ten times less likely to use 2FA), it still seems extreme. I am aware that I have unused accounts that have not been compromised, and in accordance with this policy, I will lose them.
Not all Google accounts will be deleted
There are a couple of important caveats here. First, while this policy change is official as of Tuesday, Google won’t start deleting accounts until December at the earliest. The company says it will also issue several warnings to users. (But if you’re not using an account, you’ll probably miss them.)
Secondly, this change only applies to personal Google accounts. Your school or work accounts are safe even if you haven’t touched them in years. Third, if you have an active subscription with an account that you haven’t logged in to in over two years, you’re safe. This counts as activity even if you’re not using the account for anything else.
Finally, the change does not apply to YouTube video accounts. (Thank goodness.) The company’s initial statement said it would remove YouTube content as part of this policy change, but after the backlash, it decided to exclude YouTube video accounts from its removal plans.
Otherwise it would have been a disaster. There are probably a lot of videos on YouTube that are linked to inactive accounts. It would be a total loss if they disappeared just because Google decided to purge those accounts. While I am not a supporter of the new policy, I am at least grateful for this loophole.
How to keep old Google accounts
Luckily, it’s easy to protect an inactive Google account from deletion: log in and do something with it. That’s all. Google offers a list of actions you can take to remove your account from the exclusion list, including reading or sending email, opening Google Drive, watching a YouTube video, downloading the Play Store app, searching for something on Google, or signing in with using Google to sign in to another account.
However, in the future, it is recommended that you set up a backup email address for your account to help you access it if you lose your password. You also need to make sure the recovery account remains active: I lost my Google account because I lost my recovery account and I can’t access the verification codes that Google sends to verify my identity.