How to delete a Gmail account and Google account

Want to learn how to delete a Gmail account with or without your Google account? In this article, we’ll explain what to do in each of these scenarios. The process is slightly different for desktop and mobile users, so we’ve prepared a separate step-by-step guide for each platform.

There can be many reasons to delete your Gmail account. You might want to start from scratch if you have an embarrassing username or get too many spam letters. Alternatively, you might consider switching to another email provider altogether. No matter the reason, today you’ll learn to reach your goal.

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How to delete your Gmail account

How do I delete my Gmail account permanently? If you’ve been asking this yourself lately, you’re in the right place. Below is a step-by-step guide for deleting your Gmail. It works both for Windows and macOS because you only need a browser. And those wondering how to delete a Gmail account on mobile will find the guides below as well.

1. Click your profile icon at the top-right and choose “Manage your Google Account.”

2. On the left menu, select “Data & privacy.”

3. In the Download or delete your data section, select “Delete a Google service.”

4. Select “Delete a service” and enter your Gmail account password for verification.

5. Click the Trash icon beside “Gmail.” You can also click “DOWNLOAD DATA” to copy your messages, attachments, and user settings.

6. Enter an email that’s not Gmail to associate with the rest of your Google services. Click “SEND VERIFICATION EMAIL.”

7. Login to the non-Gmail account and open the verification email. Click on the link.

8. At the bottom of the message, tick the box and choose “DELETE GMAIL.”

That’s it. Your Gmail account is gone forever. Or isn’t it?

How to delete a Gmail account on Android phone

Deleting your Gmail account on Android is similar to the “How to delete a Gmail account on computer” instructions above. All you have to do is follow the following steps:

1. Open your Android’s Settings and scroll down to Google.

2. Click “Manage your Google account”. Under Data & personalization, choose “Delete a service or your account.”

3. Tap “Delete a service” and then tap the Trash bin besides your Gmail account.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions. The rest of the steps are similar to those for desktop version.

How to delete a Gmail account on iPhone

Deleting your Gmail on an iOS device is not much different from desktop. That’s why we will be covering only the main steps. You can do it either from the Gmail app or your iPhone browser. After you initiate the deletion, the last steps are similar to the desktop guide.

1. In your Gmail app, press the hamburger menu at the top-left and scroll down to Settings. Tap on the account you’re about to delete.

2. Tap “Manage your Google Account.”

3. Choose “Data & personalization”, then “Delete a service or your account,” and finally “Delete a service.”

4. Find Gmail on your list of Google services and tap the trash bin. Follow the instructions to delete your Gmail account. You can also find them in our desktop step-by-step guide.

5 things to know before deleting your Gmail account

Deleting your Gmail account is a serious thing. For some, it might even compare to getting a divorce. Before you make the irreversible step, be sure you’re aware of these 5 facts:

1. Deleting a Gmail account is final. After you go through all the steps, there’s no way back (well, almost – see “Can you recover a deleted Gmail account?” below). All your emails and account info will be gone, and you won’t be able to send or receive emails. What’s more, neither you nor anyone else will be able to choose the same username.
2. Your Google account will stay intact. If you delete your Gmail account permanently, your Google account doesn't automatically get deleted together. You will be able to continue using Photos, Drive, and other services.
3. No way to access other accounts. The chances are that at least a few of your accounts are registered using this email. When it’s gone, you may no longer be able to access those accounts.
4. No way to reset passwords. There are probably at least a few services that you’ve registered to using this Gmail account. If you forget the password, you won’t be able to reset it.
5. You can download all emails. Before you delete the account, you can easily download your emails with Google Takeout. If you’re using IMAP, don’t forget that only locally stored emails will remain. All folders that are synchronized will be gone like your New Year’s resolutions.

Delete your Google Account

You can go as far as delete not only your Gmail but an entire Google Account from your computer, which includes Drive, Photos, Calendar, and other services. Don’t forget that YouTube and Google Play subscriptions will also be gone. Finally, if you have a Chrome browser synced with your Google Account, you may also want to save your bookmarks before doing the irreversible.

To delete your entire Google Account, follow these steps:

1: Go to myaccount.google.com

2: On the left menu, select “Data & personalization.”

3: Scroll down and choose “Delete a service or your account.”

4: Select “Delete your Google Account.” Provide your password when prompted.

5: Download your data, if you want. Then scroll down, tick both boxes, and click “DELETE ACCOUNT.”

Can you recover a deleted Gmail account?

If you’ve changed your mind, there still might be some hope to recover a deleted Gmail account. However, the longer you wait, the less chance that your data is still there. To recover your Gmail, follow the steps below:

1. Go to the Google recovery page. Enter the email address that you want to recover and click “Next.”

2. If you get the message that such an account doesn’t exist, then all is lost. However, if you get to enter the last password of your Gmail account that you remember – you’re lucky!

3. If you entered the right password, you should get a success message. Continue to your Google Account.

4. Click “Google apps” at the top-right, next to your Google Account icon. Select “Gmail”, add your phone number (you will need it for verification), and click “Submit.”

5. Choose your verification method. It can be either an SMS or a phone call.

6. Enter the verification code that you’ve just received.

7. Congratulations, you’ve got your Gmail account back!

Can you recover a deleted Google Account?

If you’ve just recently deleted your Google Account, there still might be a way to recover it. The steps are very similar to those of Gmail account recovery. Here’s what you should do:

1. Go to the Google Account recovery page. Enter the email associated with your account and click “Next.”

2. Enter the password associated with this email address. If you don’t remember it, click “Try another way.”

3. After a successful security check, you’ll be asked to create a new password for your Google Account. Hooray, it lives again!

Bottom line

Deleting both your Gmail and Google Accounts is pretty straightforward. You can do it on your laptop or your mobile device – the steps don’t change much. There’s also a clear warning before the final stage after which there’s no turning back.

It turns out, you can actually recover your deleted Google or Gmail account. However, time is of the essence here. If only a few days passed, there’s a chance you’ll be able to get your account back. The longer you wait, the less likely this recovery is. Therefore, it’s recommended to make a backup copy of your data. This way you’ll at least have all information.

Finally, there are some things to remember before deleting your account. After your Gmail is gone, you won’t be able to log into any service that uses this email. Also, you won’t be able to recover forgotten passwords. And if you delete the Google account, your YouTube and Google Play will be gone too, including Chrome browser bookmarks.

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