How to Delete Your Gmail Account (Without Losing Your Data) | Lifehacker
It’s useful to have a couple of electronic mail tackle, but it surely’s additionally good to know when one must go. Deleting a Gmail tackle is simple to do, however there are some things you need to be conscious of and do earlier than you undergo with it—particularly if you wish to maintain onto a few of your previous emails.
Download your knowledge earlier than deleting your Gmail
First, obtain your knowledge. You by no means know while you’re going to wish an previous electronic mail or piece of data out of your Gmail account, so you need to simply maintain onto all of it to be protected. Start by opening your Gmail account, then clicking your profile image within the prime proper of the display. From there, hit “Manage Your Google Account.” On the left of the display, you’ll see a couple of choices. Hit “Data & privacy,” then scroll to the part referred to as “Data from apps and services you use.” You ought to see a Gmail button in there.
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/Google
Hit it and also you’ll see two choices: “Download your data” and “Delete a service.” When you choose the primary one, you’ll be given an inventory of issues you’ll be able to obtain, from calendar knowledge to contacts to your drive to, sure, your emails. Check all you need to obtain, but when your purpose is to delete simply your Gmail account, not essentially your complete Google account, concentrate on the mail. The obtain will embrace messages and attachments, plus your person settings. You’ll be prompted to proceed to the following step, the place you’ll select the way you get the information—whether or not by electronic mail, Drive, or one other service.
How to delete a Gmail tackle
Once that’s accomplished, you’ll be able to transfer on to deleting. From the identical place the place you initially selected to obtain your knowledge, hit “Delete a service.” You’ll be prompted to enter your password and enter in an present, non-Gmail tackle. That electronic mail tackle will get an electronic mail containing a hyperlink to delete your account. You’ll be prompted to substantiate you need to delete it after which it’s over.
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/Google
When you delete your Gmail account, your emails and mail settings will likely be deleted and also you received’t be capable of use it to ship or obtain emails. No one else will be capable of use that tackle sooner or later, both. According to Google, in the event you change your thoughts, you would possibly be capable of get it again, however the tips are imprecise: “If it’s been a while since you deleted your account, you may not be able to recover the data in your account.” That’s fairly unclear, so in the event you’re hesitating in any respect, take into account not deleting it.