Deleting your Gmail removes the email address and all its messages, while leaving the rest of your Google account (like Drive, Photos, and YouTube) intact. You can also delete the entire Google account if you want everything gone. Download anything you want to keep first, because this cannot be undone easily.
What you'll need
- Your Google account password
Step by step
- Back up your emails firstGo to Google Takeout, select Mail, and export your messages. Once Gmail is deleted, those emails are gone.
- Open your Google Account settingsSign in at myaccount.google.com, or in Gmail tap your profile picture and choose 'Manage your Google Account'.
- Go to Data and privacySelect the 'Data & privacy' tab, then scroll to the 'More options' section near the bottom.
- Choose to delete a Google serviceTap 'Delete a Google service', re-enter your password, then click the trash icon next to Gmail. Choose this instead of 'Delete your account' if you only want to remove email.
- Add a new contact emailGoogle asks for a different email address to replace the Gmail one for your account sign-in and recovery. Enter one and confirm through the verification link it sends.
- Confirm the deletionFollow the final prompt to remove Gmail. Your Google account stays active with the new email address as its login.
Handy tips
- To keep the address but stop using it, consider just setting up auto-forwarding or a vacation reply instead of deleting.
- If you delete the whole Google account rather than just Gmail, you also lose Drive, Photos, YouTube, and purchases tied to it.
Heads up
- Deleting Gmail permanently erases all your emails and the address itself. You cannot reliably send or receive to that address again.
- Anyone who used that Gmail to log in to other websites may lose access to those accounts.
FAQ
Will deleting Gmail delete my whole Google account?
No, if you use 'Delete a Google service' and remove only Gmail. Your Drive, Photos, and other Google services stay.
Can I get my old Gmail address back after deleting it?
Sometimes you can recover it within a short window, but it is not guaranteed, and the address cannot be reused by others reliably.
What happens to emails people send to the deleted address?
They will bounce back to the sender because the address no longer exists.