How you can stop Google deleting your Gmail account as mass closure deadline looms

Millions of Australians will have their Gmail accounts deleted as the tech giant tightens makes huge changes to its security system - and the deadline is approaching.

Accounts which have not been active for two years will be deleted, Google have announced.

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“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,” Google said last week.

No accounts will be deleted before the looming deadline of December 2023, when Google will launch its “phased approach” to erasing accounts.

The company is only focusing on deleting inactive accounts, and have released a handy step-by-step guide to ensuring your account is safe.

Earlier this month, social media platform Twitter announced it will alsoremove accounts that have been inactive for several years.

Elon Musk, CEO, announced the news in a tweet saying, “Google will send multiple notifications to the account email address and recovery mail of the inactive accounts before deletion.”

Google has confirmed it will send multiple notifications to the Gmail account email address and recovery mail of the inactive accounts before anything is deleted. But there are simple ways you can ensure your account is safe now.

How to stop your Gmail account being deleted

“If you have signed into your Google Account or any of our services recently, your account is considered active and will not be deleted,” Google said. They have also listed other ways you can ensure your account is safe.

These include:

• Reading or sending an email
• Conducting a Google Search
• Using Google Drive
• Watching a YouTube video
• Downloading an app at the Google Play Store
• Using Sign In with Google to log in to a third-party app

You should also ensure that you regularly sign in to ensure that your account is safe in the future.