How to delete your Gmail account completely

The reasons why we decided delete gmail account they can be varied. For example, because we no longer want to receive emails in our account, or because we have a new account in gmail or they are another provider with which we want to replace the previous one. Whatever the reason, in this post we will explain how it is done.

Keep in mind that deleting a Gmail account does not imply deleting our Google account, since Gmail is only one of the many services that the platform offers us, such as GDrive, Google Play o Youtube. For this part, we can rest easy.

Before proceeding with the removal...

In any case, before taking the step, it is convenient to know in detail what the fact of deleting a Gmail account entails. This way we will avoid unpleasant surprises. For this reason, we recommend that you read the following points carefully and assess what is explained in them. When we delete our account in Gmail…

• All messages contained in the account will be lost.
• Our personal settings will be deleted.
• The deleted email address cannot be used by new users.

Bearing this in mind, it is not a bad thing to carry out a Backup using the option "Download your data". To preserve the contents of the account before proceeding to its definitive cancellation, we will follow these steps:

1. First of all, let's first of all «Data and Personalization».
2. There we select the option “Download, delete or create a data plan”.
3. Finally, we will choose the option “Download your data”.

But even if we delete the Gmail account and haven't taken the precaution of saving the information before, don't throw in the towel just yet. There is still a way to recover the account. We explain it later.

Read also: How to free up space in Gmail without paying

Delete Gmail account step by step

Although the task of deleting a Gmail account is relatively simple, there are some small differences depending on whether we do it using a PC or from an Android mobile phone. Let's analyze the two cases:

From the PC

Obviously, the first thing to do to proceed with the deletion of the Gmail account is log in. Any web browser will work for us (Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer...), just write the address in the browser bar: https://mail.google.com/.

Once we are logged in, we will be able to see the mailbox. Our profile picture will appear in the upper right corner of the screen; to its left is the icon of the nine small dots or google apps icon. We must click on it and, in the next box that appears, choose "Bill".

Within the “Account” page, we will see a column with various options on the left of the screen. There we select "Data and Personalization".

In this new screen, we will slide down until we find the option “Delete a service or the account” (The statement may vary depending on where in the world we are, but its meaning and function will be the same).

At this point, in order to continue with the process, Google will request an identification by entering again username and password.

The next screen that opens is a list of all Google services associated with our account. Here we will choose Gmail and delete the account clicking on the trash can icon displayed next to the corresponding icon.

We are almost at the end of the process. Before the deletion becomes effective, Google will ask us for a alternate email address to keep in touch with us. Finally, we will be asked to read a page with important information we should know before deleting the account (basically the ones we mentioned in the previous section).

After this, the last step is to click on the button “Delete Gmail” to complete the process.

Delete Gmail account on Android

To delete the Gmail account from an Android device, these are the steps to follow:

1. To start, we go to the Phone Settings, through the button "Settings".
2. There we look for the icon marked with the name "Account" O well "Google".
3. Within this option we look for "Data and Personalization".
4. Then we select “Delete a service or the account”, option that may be located within “Download, delete or create a data plan”.
5. The last step is to delete the Gmail service by clicking on the trash can icon shown next to it.

After executing these steps, it only remains to confirm the messages from Google about the definitive deletion of the Gmail account.

On iPhone and iPad

The method to delete Gmail account on an iPhone or an iPad is slightly different from the one we have described for Android. The steps to follow are these:

1. First you have to open the Gmail app.
2. Click on the options menu (the icon with the three horizontal stripes) and in it we will «Settings».
3. There we select "Your account", after which a new options menu will be displayed.
4. The one we have to choose is “Manage your Google account”.
5. As in the previous examples, we go to the section of "Data and personalization", in which we select “Delete a service or the account”.
6. Then you have to select “Delete a service”, choosing Gmail.
7. After a brief verification process, next to the Gmail logo will appear the trash can icon on which you have to click to make the deletion effective.
8. The last step is simply to confirm the order.

Recover Gmail account (after deletion)

As we mentioned at the beginning, Google offers a last way out in case we finally change our minds and want recover deleted gmail account.

In this case, what we must do is log in to Google by entering our username and password. From there, it's about following the steps required to confirm our identity. One of the many questions that we will have to answer is the reason why we have decided to delete the account. You have to be patient, because the process can be long and not take effect at first.