How to Delete a Gmail Account: A Step-by-Step Guide
Privacy has become a major concern for every who has an online presence. It’s not a secret anymore that various tech giants are making money out of your personal data and online habits. Gmail is no different as it reads all the emails you send and receive.
For this reason, you might want to discontinue using Gmail account of yours. Worry no more, as this blog will tell you how to delete a Gmail account using some easy steps. But first, take a look at some of the main reasons why you might want to delete your Gmail account.
Why You May Want to Delete Your Gmail Account?
- Google goes through your emails and collects actionable data.
- Gmail doesn’t offer end-to-end encryption by default.
- Break free from the web of tech giants.
- Gmail needs you to enter your personal data to sign up.
- Gmail is prone to malicious attacks compared to many lesser-known email services.
How to Delete a Gmail Account
If you want to delete your Gmail due to any of the above reasons, here is what you need to do:
- To begin with, access your Google Account.
- Select Data & privacy from the left panel.
- Scroll down to the section Data from apps and services you use.
- Click Delete a Google service, located under Download or delete your data section.
- When prompted, type your password.
- If you want to delete your Gmail account only, click on the trash can icon beside Gmail.
- You’ll need to enter an existing email address to sign in to Google services.
- Also, click on Send verification email to get an email from Google on that account. This process won’t accept another Gmail address.
- Open that email inbox, and you’ll find the email containing the link to delete Gmail. Click on the link.
- Choose Yes, I want to delete my Gmail account when prompted.
- Select Delete Gmail, and then click on Done to complete the process.
What Happens After Deleting Your Gmail Service?
Users who don’t want their Gmail address and emails anymore can remove those from their Google account. Deleting Gmail won’t delete your complete Google account. However, you should be aware of the following consequences of deleting your Gmail:
- All your emails, (sent, received, draft) and related email settings will be deleted.
- It won’t be possible to send or receive emails using that Gmail address. In case you change your mind, it might be possible to get the address back.
- No one else can use this Gmail address in the future.
- Since your Google account will still be active, you’ll still have all the Google Play activities and purchases.
Things to Do Before Deleting Gmail Account
- Review your account info and download the necessary data.
- If you use this email address for social platforms, online banking, and other apps, enter a new email address replacing it.
Wrapping Up
Gmail is undoubtedly a popular email service provider all over the world. However, it comes with some drawbacks for which, users often want to switch to other encrypted emails.
If you own a Gmail account, you should know how to delete a Gmail account in case you ever want to stop using this email account.
You may also be interested in knowing how to block emails on Gmail for a focused and distraction-free inbox.
