DELETE YOUR GOOGLE ACCOUNTS
Delete your Gmail account but keep using Google
It’s a common misconception that you need a Gmail account to use Google’s products and services, so it can spy on your emails as well as your other activities. While this is certainly Google’s preference – “One free account gets you into everything Google”, says Gmail’s sign-up page – it’s not mandatory, and it’s possible to delete your Gmail account, and use an email address from a different provider instead.
Visit your Google Dashboard page ( www.snipca.com/39631) and select ‘Delete a service’, then click ‘Delete a service’ again. Sign into your Google account with your current Gmail address, then click the bin icon next to Gmail (see screenshot below). You may want to download your emails and other Gmail data first (see box above right). Enter the email address you want to use instead, click ‘Send verification email’ and click the link in the message you receive. Gmail will then be deleted from your Google account.
Note that you won’t be able to use some Google services without a Gmail account, such as the Google Play Store on your Android phone, so don’t rush into deletion unless you’re sure. Your ‘Google’ Dashboard also lets you delete a few other services from your Google account, including Youtube, Google Pay and Google Play Games.
Permanently delete your entire Google account
Deleting your whole Google account is the most effective way to free yourself from its clutches, but it’s also a last resort. You may regain a significant amount of online privacy, but you’ll also lose every file you’ve uploaded to Drive, all your synced Chrome data, images stored in Google Photos, Gmail messages, Youtube videos, saved contacts, Android apps and more. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly and you should back up any content you want to keep beforehand (see box above).
If you’re sure you want to ditch Google completely, head to your Google Dashboard ( www.snipca.com/39631), click ‘Delete a service’ then choose ‘Delete your account’ under ‘Delete your Google account’. Sign into your account, review all the content that will be lost and tick the confirmation boxes at the bottom of the page. Finally, click ‘Delete Account’ (see screenshot 1 ) and say goodbye to Google 2 .
GDPR rules mean that Google must delete your data within 30 days, but if you have a sudden change of heart you may be able to recover your account within that time frame. Visit Google’s Account Recovery page ( www.snipca. com/39636) and sign into the account you deleted. You may need to answer some security questions and enter an email address that was linked to your account. If you make it in time, your Google account will be restored.