In light of Google's decision to delete unused accounts older than two years, it might be worth checking for any forgotten Gmail accounts. Google issued a warning via email, confirming that any accounts inactive for two years would be subject to deletion from December 1st, 2023.
In case you have inactive Gmail accounts containing crucial content, there's a way to find them. Google's "find your email" page helps identify any Gmail accounts associated with a recovery email address or phone number.
Here's the process:
- Navigate to http://accounts.google.com/signin/usernamerecovery and input any longstanding email accounts or phone numbers used as recovery info.
- On the next page, you'll be prompted to enter your name.
- After that, you'll receive a verification code on the phone number or email address you inputted.
- Now, you'll see a list of Gmail accounts that have registered the given email or phone number as a recovery resource.
If you encounter a forgotten account and can't recall the password, follow these steps:
- Select the forgotten account from the list and verify that you are human via a CAPTCHA checkbox.
- You'll be prompted for the password, but since you don't remember it, click the "forgot password?" link.
- You'll receive another verification code on the phone number initially entered. Use this to reset your password.
- Finally, check the existing recovery email account. If it's outdated, input a new recovery email and a code will be sent to this new account.
Remember to use the "find your email" page to check any active email addresses or phone numbers you've used as recovery references. Moreover, ensure you've set up a recovery phone number and email address for each of your Gmail accounts as they might prove invaluable. You can find instructions on how to do this here.
