How do you get rid of an embarrassing Gmail account you made when you were a teenager? Too many unwanted emails? Or even worse, has someone taken over your account? You might also want to move to a different email provider so you can try out more emailing services.
Gmail is the most used email service in the world, with more than 4.1 billion users. Gmail makes it easy for anyone to make an account, and it’s likely that you’ve made one (or more) that you want to get rid of. No matter why you want to get rid of your Gmail account, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll show you how to do it.
Things To Consider Before Deleting
Here are five things you should think about before you delete your Gmail account:
1. Deleting your Gmail account is irreversible
When you delete your account, it’s over, just like when a shot leaves a bow. Once you agree, your email ID, emails and account data will disappear. On the same Gmail ID, you won’t be able to send or receive email. In this case, neither you nor anyone else will be able to use the same ID again.
When you need to get back into your Gmail account, time is of the essence. You can use account restore to get your account back if you deleted it a few days ago. If it’s been a long time, you should be ready to let go.
2. Deleting a Gmail account has nothing to do with your Google account
You can still use other Google services, like Meet, Calendar, Gdrive, Docs, Sheets, and more, that are linked to your account.
3. No access to other accounts
You probably used your Gmail ID to sign in or sign up for more than one app or service, like Netflix or Amazon Prime. If you delete your account, you might never be able to use these sites again.
4. Zero options to reset passwords
If you can’t remember the password for any account you made with your Gmail account, it’s gone. If you don’t have the original Gmail account, you can’t ask for or get back lost passwords.
5. Download your emails
You can get a copy of your emails by downloading or exporting them through an email tool or Google Takeout. If you use IMAP, emails will only be saved on your machine if they are already there. Once you delete your Gmail account, any emails you’ve saved on the computer or in a folder you’ve synced with it will be gone.
Here’s how to close your account for good on your computer, Android, or iPhone.
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How To Delete A Gmail Account
Desktop
Step 1: Navigate to your Google Account Settings.
Step 2: Click on Data & Personalization.
Step 3: This will lead you to a fresh page. Scroll to the bottom, and you’ll see Download, Delete, or Make a Plan for your data.
Step 4: Click on Delete a service or your account.
Step 5: On the next page, click on Delete a Service. At this stage, if you click on Delete your Google Account, your Google account and all its services and data such as photos and emails will get deleted.
Step 6: You’ll see a sign-in prompt now. Type in your email address and password like you would normally do to log in to your account.
Step 7: This step is your final chance to save all emails before they get deleted with your Gmail account. To do so, click on Download data. You can also copy them to any other Gmail account. Otherwise, proceed to click on the trashcan icon you see next to Gmail.
Step 8: Enter the secondary email ID that you used to create this specific Gmail account that you are deleting. It’s essential to ensure that the email address you enter is currently accessible.
Step 9: Click on Send Verification Email on the “How you’ll sign in to Google” dialogue box.
Step 10: Check for a subject line that reads Gmail Deletion Confirmation or ‘Security alert for your linked Google account’ from no-reply@accounts.google.com. Open the message and click on the deletion link.
Step 11: At this stage, Google may prompt you to sign in to the account you want to delete.
Step 12: You’ll see a Confirm Gmail Deletion message. Select “Yes, I want to delete ‘your mail id’ permanently from my Google Account.”
Step 13: Click on Delete Gmail.
Step 14: Tap on Done.
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Android
If you’re an Android user, here’s what you need to do to delete your Gmail account.
Step 1: Open Settings on your Android phone and navigate to the Google account.
Step 2: Select Manage your Google Account. Scroll to Data & Personalization, select Delete a service or your account.
Step 3: Click Delete a service and then on the trash bin beside the Gmail account.
Step 4: Follow the rest of the steps like those mentioned in the desktop version.
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Final Thoughts
We’ve probably told you everything you wanted to know about how to delete your Gmail account. Now it’s easy to close accounts you no longer need. You might be wondering, “Where will the emails sent to my deleted Gmail ID go?”
When someone sends you an email, or an email to an email address that no longer exists, the sender will get a message that the email couldn’t be sent. Your best bet would be to give your business friends a different email address.
