Google says it will soon start a Gmail purge as it cracks down on inactive accounts.
Those who have old Google email accounts that haven't been accessed in a while are advised to log in every 24 months or risk losing their accounts, as the company has updated its policy.
This could be especially important for agencies and brands that used basic Gmail accounts as grey-accounts — the kind that was used to set up a client's ad account or Facebook page but is still listed as the owner.
⚠️ Permanently Deleting Unused Accounts
For those wondering about the availability of deleted email addresses for reuse, according to 9to5Google, these addresses will become inaccessible.
The company will start deleting inactive accounts in December. Gmail messages, Calendar events, Drive, Docs, and other Workspace files, as well as Google Photos backups, will also be removed during this process.
☑️ Account Activity Criteria
Google determines account activity based on various actions such as:
- Reading or sending emails
- Using Google Drive
- Watching YouTube videos
- Downloading apps from the Play Store
- Using Google Search
- Using Sign in with Google to log in to third-party services
Once the new policy is implemented, the company will start removing accounts that were created but never accessed again, and send several warning notifications to the account's address before sending it to Gmail heaven.
Image: Canva
