How to delete Gmail account on desktop, Android, & iOS
If you want to delete your Gmail account, Google gives you the option. This is a permanent move, though, so make sure you download your data before deleting it.
In this article, we’ll go over the steps to delete your Gmail account, whether you’re using a desktop browser, Android phone, or iPhone.
Note: If you want to delete your Gmail account but don’t want to lose information stored there, you can download your data via the Google Takeout page.
How to delete Gmail account
In short:
- Login to your Google account.
- Go to the data & privacy settings.
- Select “delete a Google service.”
- Select “Gmail.”
- Enter an alternate email address (a non Gmail address) to maintain access to your Google account.
- Verify the alternative email address.
Before you do anything
Before you delete your Gmail account, we recommend you download your account data first. This will allow you to save copies of the emails in your inboxes in case you need them later. Otherwise, once you delete your Gmail account, the emails will be gone for good, even if you recover the email address at a later time.
Here’s how you can download your account data:
- Go to the Google Takeout page.
- Uncheck the boxes next to the accounts you don’t want to download and click “next step.”
- Choose the file type, frequency, and destination. Since you’re deleting the account, you only need to export once.
- Click “export.”
How to delete a Gmail account on a web browser
- Open your browser of choice and go to https://myaccount.google.com.
- If you haven’t already, log in to your Google account.
- Click “data & privacy.”
- Scroll down to the “data from apps and services you use” section.
- Find “download or delete your data” and click “delete a Google service” below it.
- Re-enter your password to confirm your identity.
- Click the trashcan icon next to “Gmail.”
- Enter an email address that isn’t a Gmail address and click “send verification email.”
- Open the email from Google and verify the email.
If the Gmail account is for school, work, or another organization, you may not be able to delete the account on your own. In this case, contact your administrator and request that they delete your Gmail account.
How to delete your Gmail account on an Android device
- Open the settings app on your device.
- Scroll down and tap on “Google.”
- Tap “manage your Google account.”
- Scroll down and tap “manage your data & privacy.”
- Scroll down to the “download or delete your data” section and tap “delete a Google service.”
- Use your screen-lock passkey, fingerprint, or face identification to confirm your identity.
- Tap on the trashcan icon next to “Gmail.”
- Enter an email address that isn’t a Gmail address and click “send verification email.”
- Open the email from Google and verify the email.
How to delete your Gmail account on an iPhone
- Launch your Gmail app.
- Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner.
- Tap on “settings.”
- Select the account you want to delete.
- Tap “manage your Google account.”
- Under “download, delete or make a plan for your data” tap “delete a service or your account.”
- Under “delete a Google service,” tap “delete a service.”
- Tap the trash icon next to “Gmail.”
- Verify your identity.
- Enter an email address that isn’t a Gmail address and click “send verification email.”
- Open the email from Google and verify the email.
What happens when you delete your Gmail account
Deleting your Gmail account will have several outcomes. Here’s what to expect:
- Unless you downloaded your account data first, all of your emails will be deleted.
- You won’t be able to use your deleted address to send or receive emails or sign up for anything.
- You’ll lose access to other Google services in your G-Suite such as your Google Calendar, YouTube, and Google Drive.
- You may lose access to other accounts you used the deleted Gmail account to register for.
- No one, including yourself, will be able to use the same username in the future.
- You’ll still have access to your Google Account, your activity, and Google Play purchases.
- You’ll be able to recover the deleted account, if you choose so.
How to recover a deleted Gmail address
Once you delete your Gmail account, it’s possible to recover it, but it may not have all of its original functions. All of your emails and account data will be deleted. If you didn’t download your data prior to deletion, there’s no way to recover those.
Here’s how to recover a deleted Gmail account:
- Go to the Google account recovery page.
- Enter your deleted Gmail address and click “next.”
- Enter your password or click “try another way.”
- Create a new password to access your Gmail account again.
How to delete your entire Google account
Deleting your Gmail account won’t delete your Google account. You’ll have to follow another set of steps to delete your Google account.
Web browser
- Open your browser of choice and go to https://myaccount.google.com.
- Login to your Google account.
- Click “data & privacy.”
- Under “your data & privacy options,” click “more options” and then “delete your account.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions to permanently delete your Google account.
Android
- Open the settings app.
- Tap “Google.”
- Go to the “data & privacy” tab.
- Tap “more options.”
- Tap “delete your Google account.”
- Use your passkey to confirm your identity.
- Check the two boxes at the bottom and tap “delete account.”
iPhone
- Open the Gmail app.
- Tap on your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- Tap “manage accounts on this device.”
- Tap “data & privacy” at the top of the screen.
- Scroll down to “Data from apps and services you use” section.
- Tap “delete a Google service” under “download or delete your data.”
- Tap the trash can icon.
- Enter an alternate email address (a non Gmail address) to maintain access to your Google account.
- Verify the alternative email address.
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- How to delete all promotions in Gmail
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FAQ
Can you permanently delete an old email address?
You can delete your Gmail account, however, there’s still a chance to recover it. The data associated with the account, including your emails and settings, will be permanently deleted, however.
How do I delete another Gmail account?
To delete another email address in your Gmail account, log in to the Gmail account associated with the email address you’re trying to delete. Then go to the “data & privacy” section in your account, click “delete a Google service,” and click the trash icon next to “Gmail.”
How do I delete thousands of old emails in Gmail?
To delete thousands of old emails in Gmail, you can use the “select all” feature. Type “before:YYYY/MM/DD” into the search bar then click “select all conversations that match this search.” Then click the trash icon to delete them.
Check out our guide on how to use the “select all” feature in Gmail for more information about how to delete multiple emails based on how old they are, whether they are read or unread, which inbox they’re in, who they’re from, and more.
How do I permanently delete my Gmail account without password?
You can’t delete a Gmail account without a password. If you don’t remember your password, use password recovery to set a new password and then delete your account. If you have trouble recovering your password, contact Google’s customer support.
Should I delete my email if it was hacked?
It isn’t recommended to delete your email account if it was hacked. If the hacker has your password, they may be able to recover your Gmail account and impersonate you. It’s safer to reset your password and enable multi-factor authentication to ensure no one else can access your account.
