Gmail is a popular email service because of its convenient features and ease of use. However, if you no longer need your Gmail account or it’s just taking up space on your phone or computer, you might want to delete it. Deleting your Google account will remove all information associated with that account. You won’t be able to access any emails or documents saved in Google Docs, but the good news is that you can re-create your account at any time if you have a reason to do so.
Step 1: Back Up Important Data.
Before you delete your Gmail account, ensure you have backed up any essential data from your Google Drive. You can download your data any time, even after deleting your account, but you have to do it before you end your account so that Google can’t read your documents. The best way to ensure you have all your data is to download it to your computer and save it to a flash drive. You can also print essential documents or photos and put them in a file or binder. Google offers secure ways to back up your data, such as Google Takeout, which allows you to download your Gmail messages and other data. You can also save a copy of your data on another email service, such as Outlook or Yahoo, which may be less secure but will be accessible long after you delete your Google account.
Step 2: Find and Delete Confidential Data.
Before you end your account, you should search through your Gmail messages and documents for sensitive data, such as passwords, Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, etc. After you’ve deleted your account, Google will not be able to read your emails or access your saved data. If you have confidential information in any saved data, it will not be accessible after you end your account. Once you’ve found and deleted confidential data, you’re ready for the next step.
Step 3: Reset Your Google Account Password.
Before you end your account, you should reset your Google account password. This will prevent someone else from logging into your account and deleting it themselves. You can log in to your account and click the settings tab. You can then click on Account Security and select “Change Password.” You’ll need to enter your old password and create a new password. You should also consider disabling two-factor authentication if you still have it enabled. Once you’ve done this, you’re ready to move on to the next step.
Step 4: Revoke Access for Third Party Apps.
If you’ve granted third-party apps access to your Google account, you should revoke that access before ending your account. To do this, click on the settings tab and go to the “Apps” section. You can select the app and click “Revoke Access.” It would help if you did this for each app you’ve given access to your account so that they won’t be able to access your account after you’ve deleted it.
Step 5: Delete Your Gmail Account Permanently.
Once you’ve reset your password, revoked third-party access, and deleted any confidential data, you’re ready to delete your account permanently. Log into your account and click on the settings tab. Select “Delete Account” from there and click “Delete Account.” You’ll have five days to change your mind during the cancellation process. After five days, you will no longer be able to access your account, and you will not be able to re-create it.
Conclusion
Many people delete their Gmail accounts every day, and there is no harm in doing so if you do not need it. It’s important to remember that if you delete your account, you will lose access to all data saved in Google Drive, including emails and documents. You can still download data before deleting your account, but after that, it will be gone forever. It’s a good idea to think carefully about why you want to delete your account before you do it.
