How to permanently delete your Gmail account

There’s an awful lot of Gmail accounts around; so many in fact that it’s the biggest free email provider in the world. But what if you’ve fallen out with Google and want to tidy up before you move on. Or maybe you just want a clear out of old accounts you made many year ago. Don’t worry, the process of deleting an account is a doddle and in no time it’ll be one less thing to think about.

First things first, log in to your Gmail account you want to delete by browsing to myaccount.google.com. If you no longer know the details, you’ll have to start the account recovery process, so be sure to read our guide to regaining access to your Gmail account. This page is the central hub for everything to do with your account, but in order to delete the account, you’ll want to navigate to ‘Account preferences’.

Within the ‘Account preferences’ section of your account, scroll all the way down to ‘Delete your account or services’ and click ‘Delete products’. In the ‘Delete a product’ section, you can find your Gmail and choose the ‘Delete’ option. Google lets you download any data you have to keep as a backup too, which can be incredibly useful to have just in case.

Click the bin icon to start the final stages of deleting your Gmail. Make sure to read the information provided, but the short version is that Google likes to remind you that you’ll no longer be able to send, receive, or access email from your Google account. It’s worth mentioning that this method doesn’t delete your Google account, it only deletes your Gmail account associated with your Google profile.

When your Gmail account is deleted, all of its content will be permanently wiped and you’ll lose access to your email address within two business days. If you want to continue, tick the “Yes I want to permanently delete” checkbox and enter a new primary email address and current password so you don’t lose access to your Google account. Be sure to read our full Google account security guide to keep your account as secure as possible.

Now that your account is deleted, now’s the time to start making sure any other online accounts, like your bank or Amazon accounts, for instance, are updated with your new email address so you don’t lose access too. And if you’re looking for a new email provider check out our Best free email services for some options.