How do I delete my Gmail account forever?

If you no longer want or use your Gmail account, it's best to delete it permanently to keep it from being accessed. Follow these steps to delete your account forever.

Jul 15, 2019

Whether it's because you want to get rid of that embarrassing email address you made years ago, or you have upgraded to a different email provider, deleting your Gmail account forever is quite simple. Deleting your account will delete all of your messages and emails. However, there is an option to delete your Gmail account and retain access to YouTube and your Google accounts.

Just follow the following steps to delete your Gmail account forever:

  1. Go to https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox

  2. Log onto your account with your email address and password.

  3. In the top right corner of the screen will be an icon that is made up for dots in a 3x3 square. Click on that and select 'Account' in the top left corner of the drop-down selections. Your account will be easy to spot as it has your Gmail profile picture as the thumbnail.

  4. You will be redirected to a new page. Under the list of options on the left side of the screen, select 'Data & Personalization.'

  5. Scroll down the page until you see the box titled 'Download, delete or make a plan for your data.'

  6. Select the third option displayed: 'Delete a service or your account.' It states that you can do this if you no longer use a service or your account.

  7. At this point, you can choose one of two options. Delete your Google Service or Delete your Google Account.

Delete a Google Service

  1. Deleting a Google service means you can delete specific aspects of your account while leaving others. This option allows you to delete your Gmail account but retain access to other services, such as YouTube. If that is what you prefer, select 'Delete a Service.'

  2. You will be redirected to sign in again into your Gmail account with your email and password.

  3. You can select which service you would like to delete. Beside 'Gmail' select the trash can icon.

  4. A popup window will appear with all the details of what will be deleted (i.e. your messages, emails, etc.)

  5. Confirm by selecting 'Delete Gmail.'

Delete your Google Account

  1. Deleting a Google Account means you will permanently delete your Google Account and all your data (emails and photos) and the services attached to the account (YouTube, Google+ profile, Play Games).

  2. If this is the option you would like to proceed with, select 'Delete your account.'

  3. You will be redirected to sign in again into your Gmail account with your email and password.

  4. There will be a list of items you will be permanently deleting. This includes your Google Drive files, Gmail account, photos, YouTube account, Gmail calendar, Chrome synced bookmarks, contacts, Google Pay, Google Play Apps and Digital Content, Google+ account, and more.

    1. Note before your account is deleted, you should use up your Google Pay or Play balance. You can check your balance at pay.google.com.

  5. At the very bottom of the screen, you will be required to check two boxes. These boxes confirm that you understand you are responsible for any outstanding charges linked to your account and confirming you want to permanently delete your account and all of its data.

A few things to note:

  1. Deleting your Gmail account will not free up your username for someone else to use. Nobody will ever be able to use that email username again, including yourself.

  2. The emails you sent will still exist in recipients' inboxes unless they have deleted their Gmail accounts too.

  3. You have a window opportunity of a few weeks to retrieve your Gmail account if you change your mind. However, after a couple of weeks, you will not be able to ever retrieve the account.

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Christian has been writing about long hold times and customer service call center experiences since 2010. He's been featured in Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe.
How do I delete my Gmail account forever?

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