Have a Google account you haven’t used in a while? If you want to keep it from disappearing, you should sign in before the end of the week.
Under Google’s updated inactive-account policy, which the tech giant announced back in May, accounts that haven’t been used in at least two years could be deleted. Accounts deemed inactive will be erased in a phased-approach beginning Friday.
If you have an account that’s at risk for deletion, you should receive multiple notices from Google sent to the email affiliated with that account and its recovery address (if one exits). But 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 here’s what you need to know.
In May’s announcement, Google attributed its inactive-account update to security issues.
Accounts that haven’t been used for a long time are more likely to be compromised, the company said, noting that “forgotten or unattended accounts” typically have old passwords, often lack two-factor authentication and receive fewer security checks. As a result, these accounts could be hijacked and used for spam or other malicious content, as well as identity
The easiest way to keep your Google account active (and thus prevent it from being deleted) is to sign in at least once every two years.