If you own a Google account you haven’t used in a while and you want to keep it from disappearing this news is definitely for you as you need to sign in before the end of the week.
Why Would This Happen?
As per Google’s updated inactive-account policy, accounts that haven’t been used in at least two years could be deleted as Google attributed its inactive-account update to security issues.
The policy was announced back in May by the tech giant.
Now, the accounts which are deemed inactive will be erased in a phased-approach beginning Friday.
In case you own an account that’s at risk for deletion then you should have received multiple notices from Google sent to the email affiliated with that account and its recovery address (if one exists).
Contrary to this, if you’re still catching up on this new policy and want to ensure that your content on Google Drive, Docs, Gmail and more is saved then this article can surely help you in this regard.
According to the tech giant, the accounts that haven’t been used for a long time are more likely to be compromised, noting that “forgotten or unattended accounts” typically have old passwords, often lack two-factor authentication and receive fewer security checks.
So, there are higher chances that these accounts could be hijacked and used for spam or other malicious content, as well as identity theft.
How To Safeguard Your Account From Being Deleted?
The simplest way would be to sign in at least once every two years.
Besides this other actions that fulfill account activity requirements include sending or scrolling through emails, using Google search and watching YouTube videos (YouTube is owned by Google) all while signed into your Google account.
In addition to this, existing subscriptions set up through your Google account, including profiles for third-party apps and publications, can also account for activity.
In order to preserve content on Google Photos requires a specific sign-in.
Photos content may be similarly deleted after two years of inactivity — meaning you should open the application every so often to keep images from going into the trash, as per company’s earlier announcement.
What Are The Exceptions?
Notably, the accounts made for organizations, like schools or companies, will not be affected, according to Google.
Other exceptions include Google accounts that manage active minor accounts, accounts containing a gift card balance as well as those that have been used to purchase Google products, apps or subscriptions that are ongoing, as per Google’s online policy.
Besides this so far there are no plans to delete accounts with YouTube videos at this time, a Google spokesperson confirmed in a media report on Monday.
How To Take A Backup Of Data From Your Google Account?
It is noteworthy here that there are a few tools which can help manage and backup your data.
For instance,Google Takeout, allows users to download and export account data outside of Google at any time.
Google’s Inactive Account Manager lets you choose what would happen to your account and data if it becomes inactive — including options to send select files to trusted contacts or delete the account entirely.
Besides this Google’s online policy also speaks about how the company can work with immediate family to close the account of a deceased loved one and/or provide some account content — without sharing login credentials — on a case-by-case basis.
In addition to this, Google asks users to provide and update a recovery email for their account — which is also helpful for sending inactive account notices and other communications.
