Google to delete inactive accounts

[TenFour]

Google sent out an announcement that they have updated their inactive account policy, and that they will begin to delete inactive accounts beginning in December 2023.

This is from the email I received:

What this means for you:

These changes do not impact you unless you have been inactive in your Google Account for two years or have not used your account to sign in to any Google service for over two years.
While the changes go into effect today, the earliest we would enforce any account deletion would be December 2023.
If your account is considered inactive, we will send several reminder emails to both you and your recovery emails (if any have been provided) before we take any action or delete any account content. These reminder emails will go out at least 8 months before any action is taken on your account.
After a Google Account is deleted, the Gmail address for the deleted account cannot be used again when creating a new Google Account.

Article on this: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other...rs/ar-AA1bniaR

[Bamb0]

I have some google voice numbers . I hope they dont kill those... (I dont log into anything google and havent for years)

[TenFour]

Don't you have to log in to a Gmail account to access your Google Voice account or the app?

[SideshowBob]

Have they said whether IMAP access with an app password counts?

[Bamb0]

Originally Posted by TenFour

Don't you have to log in to a Gmail account to access your Google Voice account or the app?

Ya I suppose I do but I cant access it.... When I put my password in it says im using an unknown IP,I dunno......... I guess im locked out....... (Due to thier silliness)

[TenFour]

Have they said whether IMAP access with an app password counts?

It's not clear to me. Here's what the email said:

How to keep your account active?

The simplest way to keep a Google Account active is to sign in to the account at least once every two years. If you have signed in to your Google Account recently in the past two years, your account is considered active and will not be deleted.

Other ways to keep your account active include:

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
There are some exceptions to this policy. Examples include: a Google Account with YouTube channels, videos or comments; an account that has a gift card with a monetary balance; or an account that has a published application, for example, one that hosts an app on the Google Play store. Other exceptions to this policy are available here.

[TenFour]

Ya I suppose I do but I cant access it.... When I put my password in it says im using an unknown IP,I dunno......... I guess im locked out....... (Due to thier silliness)

If possible, try signing in to your Google account using a device you have signed in from before and from the same location. I once had a similar problem and I was able to get into the account by going into my office and using a computer that I had used before to sign into my Google account. This is one reason I keep at home an old cellphone signed into my Google account. It is my backup in case I get locked out of my account while traveling away from home.

[Bamb0]

They shouldnt make things so bloody difficult!!!

[TenFour]

They shouldnt make things so bloody difficult!!!

The obvious reason they do this is for security reasons, and I agree it can be frustrating to deal with at times. I think Google is trying to expunge the many accounts people created just to catch junk emails and spam, and most of these people are not sources of revenue.

[Bamb0]

No but I wonder if any FREE user is??

[hadaso]

Originally Posted by Bamb0

No but I wonder if any FREE user is??

Google's raw materials are the users' data, so as long as users provide data they create revenue for Google.

[TenFour]

Google's raw materials are the users' data, so as long as users provide data they create revenue for Google.

Right, and I think this is why they have begun to crack down on those who use their Gmail account just as a garbage dump for junk emails. Garbage in, garbage out! In other words, user data of that sort doesn't really help when targeting advertising, and that's how they make most of their money. Plus, those garbage can accounts do use resources that cost money, while not being useful for generating revenue. Many people who use Gmail actively as their main account also pay for things like YouTube, extra storage, Android apps, etc.