Google users warned millions of accounts will be deleted in weeks

It’s time to check on any old Google accounts you might have.

Maybe you made one back in uni for a group project and haven’t touched it since the moment you submitted the piece. Or perhaps you’ve just given up with checking emails on there.

Either way, if you’ve saved any documents or messages on there, you better get logged in soon.

Google have warned they’ll be deleting millions of Gmail accounts in just a few weeks’ time.

Back in the summer, the tech giants issued the following statement: “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."

Google’s policy means any accounts that have been inactive for two years or longer will be deleted.

And with that, any associated Google Calendar, Docs, Drive, Meet and Photos accounts will be scrapped – along with all their content.

Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Your account will have had a number of notifications about this by now if it's at risk of being deleted.

So, you might just want to quickly log in and check. If it is likely to be getting scrapped, it might be a good idea to save any docs, messages or emails you need to keep hold of.

The millions of Gmail and Google accounts will be deleted from December – meaning you’ve got about three weeks to sort it.

This whole wipe out is in accordance with security concerns of abandoned accounts, as it’s said they are more susceptible to cyber-attacks.

Most active accounts will have two-step authentication by now, but that’s unlikely for these inactive ones.

And therefore, cyber hackers are more likely to gain access and spread malware of access personal information such as banking details.

Thiago Prudencio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

This new policy was announced back in May of this year, way ahead of the deleting beginning next month.

Google recommend that you sign into your account at least once every two years and ensure you’ve got two-factor authentication switched on to keep your stuff secure.

And it’s pretty easy to keep your account active – even watching a YouTube video while you’re logged in will solve it.

But you’ll need to log in to the likes of Google Photos separately to make sure it’s still active.

"People want the products and services they use online to be safe and secure," Vice President of Google Ruth Kricheli wrote on the company's blog, adding: "If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised.

“This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, haven't had two-factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user."

Topics: Google, Technology, News, YouTube

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_