What Happens to Your Google Account When You Die: Inactive Account Manager
In shortGoogle’s Inactive Account Manager lets you choose up to 10 people to receive some or all of your Google data (Gmail, Photos, Drive and more) if your account is inactive for a period you choose. Set it up at myaccount.google.com/inactive. Without a plan, Google may delete an account that has been inactive for two years.
How it works
- You choose how long your account must be inactive before the plan starts.
- You add up to 10 trusted contacts and choose what each one gets: everything, or just some data types.
- Google watches for activity such as sign-ins, Gmail use and Android check-ins. When the period is up, your contacts get an email listing the data and a link to download it. They confirm a phone number first, so only they can download it.
- You can also write an automatic email to be sent on your behalf.
Setting it up
Go to myaccount.google.com/inactive (or Google Account → Data & privacy → Make a plan for your digital legacy). Choose the waiting period, add contacts and their phone numbers, and pick what they can have.
If you don’t make a plan, Google may delete an account that has been inactive across Google for at least two years. Deleted Gmail addresses can’t be reused.
If someone has already died
Without a plan, family can ask Google to close the account or, in some cases, request data from it. Google decides case by case and may ask for a court order.
How Successionly Helps
Successionly tells your family which Google account you use, that Inactive Account Manager is set up and who your contacts are, so nobody is left guessing or locked out.
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