How to Set Up Google Inactive Account Manager
Google's Inactive Account Manager tells Google what to do with your Gmail, Photos, and Drive if you stop using your account. Here is the plain way to set it up.
At a Glance
Sign In and Open the Setup Page
~33sQuick Tip
If you have more than one Google account, set up Inactive Account Manager separately for each one.
Set the Waiting Period
~33sWarning
If you pick three months, do not forget to sign in sometimes if you want the account to stay active. A long vacation could trigger the timer.
Add Your Recovery Phone and Email
~34sQuick Tip
Use a family member's email address as the backup if you only have one email account. They will get the warning and can call you.
Add Trusted Contacts and Choose What They See
~34sQuick Tip
Send each contact a heads-up note now telling them they have been added, so the email does not surprise them later.
Decide Whether to Delete the Account
~36sWarning
Deleting the account is permanent. If you have any photos, documents, or emails you want preserved, make sure your trusted contacts have downloaded them before the deletion happens.
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Google Inactive Account Manager is a free tool built into every Google account. It is the official way to tell Google what should happen to your Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive, YouTube, and other Google services if you stop using your account for a long time. Google does not know whether an unused account belongs to a person who passed away, someone who switched to a new email, or someone in the hospital. The Inactive Account Manager fills that gap. You set a waiting period, choose up to ten people to notify, decide whether they get to download your data, and decide whether the account should be deleted at the end. It runs quietly in the background and only acts if you have not signed in for the period you set.
The waiting period can be set to three, six, twelve, or eighteen months. Three months feels short, but it is the right setting for many seniors because it acts quickly if something happens. Eighteen months is closer to a typical year-and-a-half of inactivity, which is more cautious. Most people pick six months as a balance. About a month before the waiting period ends, Google sends you a text message and an email asking you to sign in. If you sign in, the timer resets. If you do not sign in within the warning period, Google considers the account inactive and starts the steps you set up.
The trusted contacts you name can be anyone with an email address, anywhere in the world. They do not need a Google account themselves, although having one helps. When the account becomes inactive, Google sends each contact an email letting them know, and if you allowed it, gives them a link to download a copy of the data you chose to share. You can share Gmail, Drive, Photos, YouTube videos, contacts, and other Google services with each person, or just some of them. You can write a personal message to each contact that they will receive in the notification email.
The last choice is whether to delete the account permanently after the waiting period ends. If you choose to delete, Google removes the account three months after sending the notifications. Your Gmail address can never be reused by anyone else. This protects your identity from being taken over later. Many seniors set up Inactive Account Manager once and forget about it. The setup takes about ten minutes, and it works for years. Pair this with Apple Legacy Contact and a written digital legacy plan, and most of your major accounts are covered.
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