To deactivate your Gmail account, meaning deleting only your Gmail service and not your entire Google account, follow these steps:
- Go to your Google Account. You may need to sign in.
- On the left navigation panel, select Data & privacy.
- Scroll down to "Data from apps and services you use."
- Under "Download or delete your data," select Delete a Google service.
- You might need to sign in again.
- Next to "Gmail," select Delete
.
- Enter an existing email address that isn't a Gmail address to use as your new primary email for your Google Account. This is where Google will send important notifications.
- Select Send verification email. Google will send a verification email to the address you provided.
- Follow the instructions in the verification email to complete the Gmail deletion.
Important Considerations:
- Gmail Service vs. Google Account: Deactivating Gmail only removes your Gmail address and emails. It does not delete your entire Google account. You'll still have access to other Google services like YouTube, Google Drive, and Google Photos.
- Choosing an Alternative Email: The non-Gmail email address you provide will become the primary email address associated with your Google account. Make sure you have access to this email address.
- Data Loss: Deleting your Gmail account will permanently delete all emails and settings associated with it. Ensure you've backed up any important data before proceeding.
- Reactivation: After deactivating Gmail, you might be able to add Gmail back to your Google Account.
