The clock is ticking for the upcoming Google account purge. With just days left until the December 1 deadline, users are rightfully worried about protecting their precious content, such as Gmail messages, photos, and documents. While most active users have nothing to fear, those with inactive accounts may lose an estimated 18 million Gmail users and 20 million Google Photos users’ data. The reason behind this upcoming cleanup is to improve security and prevent compromised accounts. However, there may be more to it than meets the eye.
As if this wasn’t enough, some users have reported missing data from their Google Drive accounts, while resetting to a status from May 2023. Google’s official support forum is overflowing with complaints from users who witnessed their files and folder structure disappearing or getting reset. Although the situation is unclear, Google is currently investigating the issue.
To prevent your precious content from being deleted, make sure to log into your accounts and ensure that you have been active in the last two years. This doesn’t just apply to Gmail and Photos; it also includes Google Drive, Docs, and Calendar data. Don’t wait for a notification email from Google, as it’s easy to miss. Be proactive and sign into your accounts. By taking action now, you can safeguard your content from being deleted.
Author Davey Winder is a 40-year veteran technology journalist, contributing editor at PC Pro, and award-winning writer. Follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn, and check out his website for more insightful content.