For infrequent Gmail users, there's a looming possibility of losing access to their Gmail accounts in the coming month.
In December 2023, Google is scheduled to deactivate millions of inactive Gmail accounts that have remained dormant for at least two years.
In essence, if a Google account hasn't been used or signed into for a minimum of two years, the company may delete the account and its contents, including data within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar) and Google Photos.
Outlined in a blog post by Ruth Kricheli, Google's Vice President of Product Management, the company stated its intention to update the inactivity policy for Google Accounts across various products.
such as two-factor authentication, making them more susceptible to breaches or unauthorized access.
This stringent measure is primarily due to the fact that inactive or abandoned accounts often lack updated security measures,
However, this policy does not apply to accounts associated with organizations like schools or businesses.
Individuals at risk are those with personal Google accounts that have not logged into their Gmail account in two years.
Actions such as sending emails, utilizing Google services, watching YouTube videos, downloading apps from the Play Store, conducting Google searches, or signing into third-party apps using Google credentials will ensure account activity.
To keep an account active and prevent deletion, users should sign in at least once every two years.