You can delete a Gmail account and all the messages in it, while retaining your Google, YouTube, and other related accounts. Here’s how.
How to Delete Your Gmail Account
Here’s how to cancel a Gmail account and delete the associated Gmail address.
These instructions apply to all desktop users regardless of OS.
- Go to Google Account Settings.
- Select Data & privacy
- In the page that appears, scroll down to Download or delete your data and select Delete a Google Service.
- You’ll be prompted to sign into your account.
- On the next page you can choose the service you would like to delete. If you want to delete a Gmail account, click the trashcan icon (🗑) next to Gmail.
- Enter an email address different from the address associated with the Gmail account you are closing under Enter an email address in the How you’ll sign in to Google dialog box.
- Click Send Verification Email.
- Open the email from Google ([email protected]) with the subject “Security alert for your linked Google account” or “Gmail Deletion Confirmation”.
- Follow the deletion link in the message.
- If prompted, log in to the Gmail account you are deleting.
- Under Confirm Gmail Deletion Select Yes, I want to delete [email protected] permanently from my Google Account.
- Click Delete Gmail.
- Click Done.
What Happens to Emails in the Deleted Gmail Account?
The messages will be deleted permanently. You will no longer be able to access them in Gmail.
If you downloaded a copy, either using Google Takeout or using an email program, you can still use these messages, of course.
If you used IMAP to access Gmail in your email program, only messages copied to local folders will be kept; emails on the server and folders synchronized with the deleted Gmail account will be deleted.
What Happens to Emails Sent to My Deleted Gmail Address?
People who mail your old Gmail address will receive back a delivery failure message. You might want to announce a new or alternate old address to the contacts you care most about.
