Delete an old Gmail address

A reader has a problem with old email addresses. She writes:

“I have old Gmail addresses that interfere with my current one, how can I delete these old address from Gmail.”

First, I want you to know that those other Gmail addresses have absolutely no impact on your preferred Gmail account. They aren’t connected in any way.  But having a bunch of active email accounts can be confusing. Let’s look at how to get rid of an unwanted account.

When you delete a Gmail address all of the emails will be deleted and that address can’t be used again by you or anyone else in the future.

You Gmail address also serves as your account ID for Android phones and tablets. But your Google Play purchases of apps, books, movies, and music will not be deleted. Your Google search history won’t be affected either.

If the Gmail address is from school, an organization, or work, you can’t delete it. You’ll need the admin of the school, job, or organization to handle that for you.

If you’re ready to delete the address, click here to go to the Google’s Account Services page and scroll down to Delete Services.

If you aren’t logged into the account, you’ll need to log in. To delete just the Gmail address, choose Delete products.

You can then choose which service you’d like to delete.

To save the data from the service you’re deleting, click Download Data.

You can then select which data you’d like to save and follow instructions. This isn’t a bad idea even if you don’t want to delete an account.

When you’re ready to delete, click the garbage can icon next to the account you wish to delete.

You’ll then be asked to confirm that you actually want to delete the email address and then asked to provide another email address for signing into your remaining Google services. An email will be sent to that account. You won’t be able to delete the email address until you respond to it.

These easy steps should help you remove the unwanted addresses.