If you have an account with Google cloud services, such as Photos, Drive, or Gmail, your content is subject to deletion. Google deletes data from inactive accounts after a certain period of time.
Google's storage policies are designed to clean up inactive accounts to make the experience better for everyone else. In other words, Google doesn't want people who don't use its services to block things for people who are active.
The good news is that the grace period for inactive accounts is quite long, so there's no need to worry if you don't use their services every day or even every month.
Before we talk about timelines, you should know what actually counts as storage space. As always, Google Drive, Google Photos, and Gmail count.
From June 1, 2021, however, the following will also count:
- New photos or videos uploaded to Google Photos
- New Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, or Jamboard files.
However, anything uploaded to these services before June 1, 2021, will not count. Only files modified after that date will count.
How long do you have until your data is deleted?
Starting June 1, 2021, Google will also implement some new policies for deleting data from inactive accounts. Google may delete data in the following cases:
- If your account has been inactive for two years.
- If you exceed the storage limit for two years.
The two-year countdown starts on June 1, 2021. So if you're inactive you have until 2023. Google will also send you several notifications before anything is removed.
How can I keep my account active?
You might be wondering what you need to do to prevent your account from becoming “inactive.” Well, it’s simple. Just visit Gmail, Google Drive, or Google Photos while signed in to your Google account on the web or mobile. That’s it! You don’t need to do anything on the services.
Generally speaking, there's nothing to worry about for anyone who even occasionally uses Google services. These policies are intended for people who don't use their Google accounts at all
Source: howtogeek.com
