How to Delete a Google Account Permanently

Key Points

There are many reasons why you might want to delete your Google account permanently.
You may need to know how to delete your Google account permanently if you plan to switch to another provider or use another profile instead.
Google gives you about two months to change your mind if you need to recover your Google account after deleting it.

Whether you are losing trust in Google’s privacy policy or want to start from scratch, it is possible to erase your Google account permanently.

By erasing the account, you will do away with your emails, photos, calendars, drive, and every other Google service you have under that address.

Keep reading to learn the simple steps to follow when permanently deleting your Google account and what you need to know about deleting the account.

History of Google Account

Google was born in 1998, and its founders are Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Initially, Page and Brin developed “BackRub” 1996, a search engine algorithm. This successful search engine grew rapidly and finally settled at Mountain View in 2003.

This was a big step for Google and it became one of the world’s largest companies. Later on, they launched Google News in 2002 and Gmail in 2004. In 2005, they launched Google Maps and later Google Chrome in 2008.

Back then, these Google services were not connected. You had to sign in for each service on its own. Google accounts came about in 2011. This was also the year when there was the social network Google+.

Google accounts have continued to grow as Google comes up with even more services. With this account, you don’t have to sign in for every Google service you need.

What You Need to Know Before Deleting Your Account

Before you click on the delete option to terminate your Google account, you need to understand that:

You lose access to all Google services under that account.
You lose all data stored under that account, including emails, photos, and contacts, among other things.
You lose access to all content and subscriptions made with that account through YouTube or other apps.
You may miss some apps and services on your phone, especially those that use the account.
You lose your Google Play data, such as game progress and achievements.
You won’t download or upload files to that account once it is deleted.
If you are deleting the account for security reasons, first use a security checkup and take steps to reduce further harm.
You have to add a new email address for services that use that address, such as online banking, apps, and social media.
You can avoid losing your data after deleting the account by downloading it. When you download, the data doesn’t delete from Google servers.

How Do You Download Data Before Deleting Your Google Account?

Downloading means exporting your data from Google products such as email, YouTube, and calendars and keeping it for your records. This is necessary when deleting your Google account since it helps you preserve important data after your account is gone.

Here are the downloading steps to follow.

Step 1: Under Data and Privacy, Select Data from Your Apps and Services

*Navigate to **Data & privacy** under Settings and select **Data from apps and services you use**.*

Step 2: Select the Download Your Data Option

*From **Data from apps and services you use**, select **Download your data**.*

Step 3: Get to the Google Takeout Screen and Select the Platform You Want to Download Data From

The data is exported in different formats, such as JSON, HTML, and CSV, based on the data type.

For instance, data in Chrome is exported in multiple formats, while data in Contacts are exported only in vCard format.

*Chrome data can be exported in a variety of formats, which include JSON, HTML, and CSV.*

Step 4: If Comfortable with All the Data That is to Be Downloaded, Click on Next Step Below the Page

*Once you are ready to download your data, click on **Next step**.*

Step 5: Choose the File Type, Frequency, and Destination, then Click Extract

*Once you select your **File type & size**, hit **Create export**.*

Step 6: Verify that You Are the Rightful Owner of the Account and Click Download

After the download is complete, you can access your downloaded data through an HTML link provided or manually. Now you’re all set with your downloaded data!

7 Steps for Permanently Deleting a Google Account

Step 1: Open the Google Account

Open the Google account using this link and go to Data & privacy.

*Select **Data & privacy** from the Settings menu.*

Step 2: Scroll Down and Select More Options

*Select **More options** from the menu options.*

Step 3: Click on Delete Account and Enter Your Password

Click on Delete your Google Account and you will get a prompt to enter your password.

*Select **Delete your Google Account**.*

*Once you press **Delete your Google Account**, you will be prompted to enter your password. Go ahead and do that and press **Next**.*

Step 4: Review Google’s Warning and Download Your Data if You Wish

Enter your password, and you get a pile of information about deleting your account. This information is a warning of what you lose when you delete the account. For instance, they tell you about losing your emails, contacts, and photos.

You will also get an option to download your data. If you wish to preserve your data after deleting it, say, download data and follow the examples given.

*Review Google’s warnings and download your data if you wish by pressing **Download your data**.*

Step 5: Check the Two Boxes at the Bottom of the Page

The first box confirms that you are still responsible for any pending financial transactions made under that account. The second box confirms that you are ready to delete the account.

*Check the two boxes on the screen as prompted.*

Step 6: Confirm Delete Account

Click on delete account to terminate the account

*After checking the boxes, click **Delete Account**.*

Step 7: You’ll Get a Confirmation Message

You get this confirmation message to show that you have successfully deleted your account.

*Once you’ve successfully deleted your account, you will get a confirmation message. As you will notice, there is also an option to recover your account if you wish.*

Can You Recover a Deleted Google Account?

Ideally, it is advisable to be sure about deleting the account before you delete it. However, change is inevitable, and you may change your mind and decide to have your account back. In other cases, you may have accidentally deleted the account and need it back.

Thankfully, Google takes about two months to permanently delete your account after you delete it, making it possible to recover the account. Remember that the longer you wait to recover your account, the lesser your chances of recovering your data.

So, how do you recover a deleted Google account?

Recovering a Deleted Google Account

Step 1: Go to Google Recovery and enter the account you want to recover

*Enter your email or phone number that belongs to the account you want to delete, then hit **Next**.*

Step 2: Account Deleted Page

You may get a message that this account does not exist. If this is your case, there is no hope of recovering the account. This happens if it has been a while since you deleted the account, typically 2 months or longer. Otherwise, Google may prompt you to click next to try and restore the account.

*If you are still able to recover your account, Google will present to you the email address associated with your account and prompt you to hit **Next** to continue to recover your account.*

Step 3: Enter the Last Password You Remember Using on That Email

If you can’t remember the password, click on try another way.

*Enter the password associated with your Google account and press **Next**. If you can’t remember it, press **Try another way** on the bottom left-hand side.*

Step 4: You Will Receive a Confirmation Message that You Successfully Undeleted Your Account, then Click Continue

*You will receive a confirmation notice that your account has successfully been undeleted. Press **Continue** or **Change password** if you wish to change it.*

Congratulations, your account has been recovered!

Can You Delete Your Gmail Account?

If your Gmail account is the only part of your Google account you want to delete, it is possible to do this without deleting the other Google products under that address.

So, how do you do this? Let’s break it down below!

Step 1: Open your Google Account and on the Left, Click on Data & Privacy

*Click on **Data & privacy** from the options menu.*

Step 2: Go to Data from Apps and Services You Use

*Under **Data & privacy**, select **Data from apps and services you use**.*

Step 3: Go to Download or Delete Your Data, Then Click on Delete a Google Service

*From **Data from apps and services you use**, select **Delete a Google service**.*

Step 4: Enter Your Password and Google Prompts You to Different Services You May Wish to Delete

*Google will provide you will the opportunity to **Download your data** or to select the different service(s) you’d like to delete.*

Step 5: Click the Trash Button Next to the Gmail Symbol

*Click the trash can icon next to the service you’d like to delete.*

Step 6: Enter an Alternative Password

Google prompts you to give another address you will use for other Google services, like Google photos. This cannot be a Gmail address. The email should be existing and ready to receive verification from Google.

*Enter a new email address to use, and it cannot be a Gmail address. Then, press **Send verification email**.*

Step 7: Open the New Email and Use the Link to Delete your Gmail Account. Click Yes to Delete the Account, then Delete Gmail

Google will send you a verification email to the address you provided in step 6. Use that link to delete your account.

Like the Google account, you can recover your Gmail account if you don’t take too long. You must log in to the Google recovery page and enter the email address you want to recover.

If you get a prompt message that the account doesn’t exist, there is no hope of recovering it. However, if you get the prompt to enter your password, enter it and proceed to recover the account.

Conclusion

Whether you are just fed up with Google accounts or want to reduce your accounts, Google provides an easy way to delete the account permanently. The steps for deleting are similar whether you are working on your phone or laptop.

When deleting, always download any data you do not want to lose. Moreover, remember you will lose all your content and subscriptions made through that account after deleting it. Nevertheless, you can recover your account and data if you try to get it before 60 days.

Up Next

How to Delete a Google Account Permanently FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can you recover your Google account after deleting it?

You can recover a deleted Google account through the Google recovery option. However, if it has been long since you deleted the account — that is, more than 60 days — it may be impossible to recover it.

Can you delete Gmail without deleting the entire Google account?

You can delete your Gmail address without interfering with the rest of your account. You can recover the account later, but you will not receive or send emails when the account is deleted.

Can somebody else use my address after I delete my Google account?

Nobody else can use your email address even after you delete your Google account.

Can you delete a Google account without a password?

You cannot delete an account without its password. Google prompts you to input your password before confirming that you want to delete the account.

What happens to emails sent to a deleted account?

A deleted account cannot receive emails. When a sender sends an email to a deleted account, the email bounces back and informs them that the email account does not exist.

About the Author

Esther Rebecca

Esther Rebecca is a tech writer that is good at capturing real insights into the tech industry, and she is no stranger to topics like cybersecurity, cryptocurrencies, space, programming, and, of course, science fiction. She can also dig into the history of technology. Besides, she provides informed and comprehensive information for those who want to catch up with tech trends, AI, video games, VR/AR reviews, and the latest updates on EVs. Outside of writing, she’s a typical mom who spends her time running after her 2 year old toddler and taking care of her family. You can catch her @rebeccaesther70 on Twitter

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