Need To Delete Your Gmail Account? Learn How on Any Device

You can reduce your online footprint by deleting unused Gmail accounts on any device in 12 steps or less.
We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

If you want to learn how to delete your Gmail account, we have all the information below. The steps are pretty simple and can be done on multiple devices. We have you covered, whether you want to delete your account from your computer or mobile device.

You should definitely delete unused accounts because it reduces your chances of identity theft, account hacking, and data theft by minimizing your online footprint.

If identity theft concerns you, using one of the best identity protection services and removing your data can keep you protected.

In this article
How to delete your Gmail account from a computer
How to delete your Gmail account from an Android
How to delete your Gmail from an iPhone or iPad
How to delete your Google Account
What to know before deleting your Gmail account
FAQs
Bottom line

How to delete your Gmail account from a computer

You may want to delete a hacked email account permanently. If you prefer to delete your Gmail account from your computer, you can follow the steps below.

  1. Log into your account

    A Gmail account inbox showing a security alert.

  2. Locate the circle in the top right corner with your first initial

    Gmail account.

  3. Click Manage your Google Account
  4. Go to Data & Privacy in the left navigation bar

    A red arrow pointing to Data and Security.

  5. Scroll to the bottom and click Data from apps and services you use

    Gmail account.

  6. Tap Delete a Google service

    Gmail account.

  7. Sign in if prompted
  8. Click the trash can button next to the Gmail option

Gmail account.

How to delete your Gmail account from an Android

Deleting your account from your Android is a simple process and will eliminate any spam mail you get on that account. You can do it by following these steps.

  1. Open Settings
  2. Tap Google
  3. Tap Manage your Google Account
  4. Tap Data & privacy

    Gmail data and privacy settings.

  5. Scroll down to Data from apps and services you use
  6. Find Download or delete your data
  7. Tap Delete a Google service
  8. Sign in if prompted

    Gmail passkey screen.

  9. Next to Gmail, tap Delete

    Gmail delete your Google account page.

  10. Enter an existing email (not a Gmail account)
  11. Tap Send verification email
  12. Verify the new email address to finish deleting your account

How to delete your Gmail from an iPhone or iPad

You have plenty of options when it comes to email providers if Gmail isn’t your thing. It’s easy to delete your Gmail account from your iPhone or iPad by taking the following steps.

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Gmail app
  2. Tap the three lines in the top left corner

    Gmail dropdown list.

  3. Tap Settings
  4. Tap your name under Account

    Gmail account settings.

  5. Tap Your info, privacy and security

    Gmail account settings.

  6. Tap Data & privacy at the top (may be in smaller letters)
  7. Scroll down until you see Download or delete your data

    Gmail account.

  8. Tap Delete a Google service
  9. Sign in if prompted
  10. Find the Gmail service and click the trash can to delete

Gmail apps.

How to delete your Google Account

To delete your entire Google account, you follow similar steps to deleting your Gmail account.

  1. Log into your account

    Gmail security alert.

  2. Locate the circle in the top right corner with your first initial

    Gmail account.

  3. Click Manage your Google Account
  4. Go to Data & privacy in the left navigation bar

    Gmail account.

  5. Scroll to the bottom where it says Delete your Google Account and click

    Gmail account more options settings.

  6. Read through the warning and scroll to the bottom

    Gmail settings.

  7. Click the boxes to indicate you understand
  8. Click Delete Account

Gmail account.


What to know before deleting your Gmail account

Before you delete your Gmail account, you should know that anything you signed up for with that email address may not grant you future access. Check out all of your accounts that are linked to email service and change the contact information before continuing.

You have the option to download all your data before deleting it. If you’re worried about losing anything important, you should do this first, then proceed with the steps for deleting your account.

Deleting your account can reduce your presence on the dark web and help safeguard your identity.

If you decide you want to keep the account, you may be able to encrypt your email and clean up the clutter without having to nix it completely.

Get your ducks in a row before permanently deleting your Gmail. If you've forgotten your password but never set up a recovery phone number or email, you can still recover your Gmail account by following these steps. Learn how in our Gmail recovery guide.

FAQs


+

Can I recover a deleted Gmail account?

You can sometimes recover a deleted Gmail account, depending on how long it's been since you deleted it. Newly deleted accounts should also be recoverable.

While Google doesn’t give an exact time frame, if it’s been more than 30 days since you deleted your account, you may not have access to it anymore.


+

If I delete one Gmail account, does it affect other Gmail accounts that I have?

No, if you delete one Gmail account, it shouldn’t affect any others you may have. This is the same with Google accounts — you can delete one without harming your other accounts.

You can also download your data if you’re unsure about an account’s stability.

If your identity protection software is prompting you that your Gmail account is hacked, it might be a good idea to delete it and use another one.


+

How long does it take for a Gmail account to be deleted?

It can take several weeks for a Gmail account to be fully deleted. While there are differing opinions online, Google’s help forum states that it will likely happen in weeks rather than months.

So once you delete your account, expect it to be gone within a few weeks from when you authorized the deletion.

Bottom line

It’s simple to delete your Gmail account on any device. Deleting unused accounts helps to reduce your online footprint, which may decrease your chances of identity theft, account hacking, and data theft.

Before you click the final delete button, make sure you’ve saved any necessary data and switched credentials on any accounts using that email. Once you’re ready, you’ll be able to delete your account in less than five minutes and with complete ease.

4.9
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Aura Identity Theft's website
Identity Protection
Aura Identity Theft
Best Sale of the Year: Up to 78% Off
  • #1 rated ID theft protection service with a full suite of monitoring tools
  • Includes up to $1 million in ID theft insurance for up to five adults
  • Protect your children with robust parental controls and gaming alerts

Author Details
Mary is a seasoned cybersecurity writer with over seven years of experience. With a B.S. in Liberal Arts from Clarion University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Point Park University, she educates audiences on scams, antivirus software, and more. Her passion lies in educating audiences on helpful ways to protect their data.