Want to turn the page with Google? Whether for reasons of confidentiality, security or simply to change digital environment, it is entirely possible to delete a Google account or just your Gmail address. However, before taking the plunge, it is important to understand the implications of this decision: loss of access to certain services, permanent deletion of associated data or need to back up your essential information.
This guide takes you step by step through the procedure to follow, whether you want to completely delete your Google account or simply get rid of your Gmail without touching other services.
What happens when you delete your Google account?
Deleting a Google account isn’t just about saying goodbye to a simple email address. This action results in the permanent disappearance of all data associated with the account, such as your Gmail messages, your files stored in Google Drive, your events in Google Calendar or your photos saved on Google Photos. Everything you have accumulated over time will be lost forever.
In addition to your personal data, you also lose access to many Google services linked to this account. This means you will no longer be able to use Gmail to send or receive messages, or access the Play Store to download or update your apps. All purchases made through Google Play (apps, movies, games or music) will no longer be available. On YouTube, you will also lose your paid subscriptions, your saved playlists and your purchased content.
The consequences can be even greater if you use an Android smartphone or Chromebook. Without a Google account, certain smartphone functions will no longer be accessible. For example, you risk losing your contacts saved online, your application backups, or your progress in certain games. On a Chromebook, access to extensions, applications and settings associated with the deleted account will no longer be possible.
Before making such a drastic decision, it is therefore recommended to take certain precautions, such as backing up all important data or adding a new email address for other online services you have subscribed to with this account. This will prevent you from losing sensitive files or precious memories, and will allow you to transfer them to another account if necessary.
How to back up your data before deleting your Google account?
Before permanently deleting your Google account, it is essential to recover a copy of your personal data. For this, Google provides a practical tool called Google Takeout. It allows you to download all or part of the information associated with your account. Here’s how to do it step by step:
First log in to your Google account, then go to the Google Takeout page.
Next, you will need to choose the data to export. By default, all services linked to your account are selected. If you don’t want to download everything, uncheck the services you consider unnecessary.
To refine further, you can select only certain elements within a service (for example, only your YouTube videos or certain categories of your emails). Once the selection is complete, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Next step” button.
On the screen that appears, you need to set your export preferences. Choose how to receive the archive (by email or via a storage service like Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Box). Also select the frequency (once or every two months for a year), the archive format (ZIP or TGZ) and the maximum size of each file. If your data is large, it will automatically be split into multiple files.
Finally, click on the “Create Export” button. Depending on the amount of data, the process can last from a few minutes to several days. You will receive an email containing the download link as soon as the archive is ready.
How to delete your Google account?
Now that you’ve backed up all your important data with Google Takeout, you can move on to the final step: deleting your Google account. Here is the procedure to follow:
Start by signing in to your Google account. If you’re already on Gmail or another Google service, click your profile picture in the top right, then select “Manage your Google account.” Otherwise, go directly to myaccount.google.com.
In the left menu, click on the “Data & Privacy” tab. Scroll to the bottom of the page, then look for the “Delete your Google account” option in the “More options” section.
For security reasons, Google will ask you to re-enter your password. Once logged in, you will be redirected to the removal page.
Google then presents you with a summary of the services and content that will be deleted with your account. At the bottom of the page, you will find two boxes: one to confirm that you understand the consequences of this deletion, and the other to accept any remaining financial obligations relating to ongoing subscriptions or payments. Check them, then click “Delete account” to finalize the operation.
Some notes on deleting a Google account:
If you have multiple Google accounts, deleting one of them will have no impact on the others: each account is managed separately and must be deleted individually if necessary.
If you withdraw, you have 14 days to try to recover your account. In this case, simply log in again to reactivate it. After this period, all data will be permanently deleted and it will no longer be possible to go back.
Finally, if your Google account is linked to an organization through Google Workspace, you won’t be able to delete it yourself. In this case, contact the account administrator to find out the procedure to follow.
How to delete your Gmail account?
As mentioned above, it is entirely possible to delete only your Gmail account while keeping your Google account active. This means that you will still be able to use other Google services (like Drive, YouTube or Photos), but you will permanently lose access to your Gmail address and all your messages.
For this deletion to be possible, it is necessary to first create another email address which will serve as a new reference for your Google account. Before you begin, also remember to backup your emails if you want to keep a copy.
Here are the steps to deactivate Gmail without deleting your Google account:
Log in to your Google account from a browser or from your Android phone’s settings.
Once logged in, navigate to the “Data & Privacy” section of your account.
Scroll down to the “Data from the apps and services you use” section, then click “Remove a Google service” in the “Download or delete your data” section.
Google will ask you to enter your password. Enter it to continue.
On the page that appears, locate the Gmail service then click on the “Delete” icon next to it.
Then enter a valid email address (other than Gmail) that your Google account can be associated with in the future.
Click “Send validation email”. A message will be sent to the address provided.
Open the email and follow the confirmation link to complete the Gmail deletion.
Until you confirm this new address, your Gmail account remains active. Once validated, your Gmail address will become unusable and cannot be recovered. So be sure to think carefully before finalizing this step.
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