When was the last time you signed in to your Google account or Gmail inbox?
If you don’t remember, your account may be deleted for inactivity starting Dec. 1, according to Google.
The tech giant says accounts that have not been used for an extended period of time are more likely to be compromised or at risk.
To combat the risk, Google says it may delete accounts that have not been used for at least two years. This includes users’ Gmail, Google Drive, YouTube and Google Photo accounts.
“Google products reserve the right to delete your data when your account has not been used within that product for a period of 2 years,” the company said.
According to Google, inactive accounts are less likely to have two-step verification set up and may use old or reused passwords.
The company says this change in its inactivity policy will not apply to school or business accounts, only those with personal accounts.
The deletion process will begin with accounts that were created and never used, Google says.
Users will receive several notifications to both their Gmail account and recovery email address before their account is deleted.
How to keep your Google Account active
“The easiest way to keep a Google Account active is to sign in at least once every 2 years,” the company’s policy says.
“If you’ve recently signed in to your Google Account or any of our services, your account is considered active and will not be deleted.”
If you checked your email, watched a YouTube video or downloaded an app from the Google Play Store, your account is not at risk of deletion, the company said.
