Google to delete millions of Gmail accounts starting December. Here's how to save yours

Google has announced that it will delete Gmail accounts of users which has not been accessed for at least two years. The deletion will start in the month of December 2023 as a security measure.

Ruth Kricheli, VP of Product Management at Google, said that this step is being taken because old and re-used passwords of unattended accounts may have been compromised, may not have two-factor authentication setup and have fewer security checks by the user.

Kricheli said that a compromised Gmail account could be used in crimes like identity theft and propagation of malicious content.

Reports say that several million accounts are at risk of being deleted due to inactivity since the last two years.

In a blog post, Kricheli revealed that the deletion will be carried out in a phased manner and the users will receive multiple notifications before their account is deleted.

What can you do to keep you account active?

The Google official also listed several steps to keep your Gmail account active and save it from getting deleted. The major step includes signing in to your Google account once every two years. Users are also advised to carry out activities like reading or sending an email, using Google Drive, watching a YouTube video, downloading apps on Google Play Store, using Google search and signing in with Google into a third-party app or service.

"If you have an existing subscription set up through your Google Account, for example to Google One, a news publication or an app, we also consider this account activity and your account will not be impacted," the blog post read.