# How Long Will Gmail Retain My Account

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-gmail-retain-my-account/416090>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 18, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-gmail-retain-my-account/416090 "2007-08-18T22:09:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nobody\_Special](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nobody\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody_Special)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-gmail-retain-my-account/416090/1 "2007-08-18T22:09:53Z")

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In an attempt to reduce the amount of spam I receive, I’ve decided to have all my non-personal e-mail pass through Gmail. Friends will have my real address, but I’ll give retailers, etc., my Gmail address which will then forward it to my real address.

That way, if the retailer sells my e-mail address, any messages will pass through Gmail’s superior spam filter before being forwarded to my real address. Since there’s no reason for me to actually login to Gmail I’m concerned that after a certain amount of time, Gmail will close my account for inactivity.

Will they? What will I need to ensure they don’t?

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**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-gmail-retain-my-account/416090/2 "2007-08-18T22:17:50Z")

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[QUOTE=Nobody Special]

What will I need to ensure they don’t?  
[/QUOTE]

The Gmail T&C states they reserve the right to withdraw your account if it hasn’t been logged into for nine months. Solution: login at a frequency of less than nine months.

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**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-gmail-retain-my-account/416090/3 "2007-08-19T01:44:05Z")

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Another solution, have your regular email forwarded to Gmail. You can still have it look like your legit address, yet the spam filter on everything, and the search, storage, etc. functions to boot.

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**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-gmail-retain-my-account/416090/4 "2007-08-19T17:10:58Z")

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[QUOTE=fisha]  
Another solution, have your regular email forwarded to Gmail. You can still have it look like your legit address, yet the spam filter on everything, and the search, storage, etc. functions to boot.  
[/QUOTE]

(Raises hand)that’s exactly what I do, and I highly recommend it.

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**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-gmail-retain-my-account/416090/5 "2007-08-19T17:52:04Z")

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[QUOTE=anson2995]  
(Raises hand)that’s exactly what I do, and I highly recommend it.  
[/QUOTE]

I do the same. No complaints here.