How to Set Up Google Inactive Account Manager (Complete 2026 Guide)

Your Google account probably contains more of your life than you realise. Decades of Gmail conversations. Every photo you have taken on an Android phone. Documents in Drive. Bookmarks, calendar events, location history, YouTube videos you created or saved. When you pass away, all of it is at risk — not of being stolen, but simply of being lost, because Google has a policy of deleting accounts that go inactive for two years.

The good news is that Google built a tool specifically for this situation. Google Inactive Account Manager lets you decide exactly what happens to your data, who gets access to it, and whether the account gets deleted — all set up in advance, on your terms, while you are still fully in control. The whole process takes about ten minutes.

Why You Cannot Skip This

If you do nothing and your Google account goes inactive, your family has two options — neither of them good. They can wait for the two-year inactivity deletion window to kick in and lose everything. Or they can submit a next-of-kin request to Google, which requires a government-issued ID, a death certificate, proof of relationship, and sometimes legal authority documentation. Google reviews these case by case, does not guarantee access, and the process can take weeks or months.

Google Inactive Account Manager bypasses all of that entirely, because you set up the access while you are alive. Your trusted contacts do not get passwords or the ability to log in as you — they get a structured tool to download data from specific services you have pre-approved. It is purpose-built for exactly this situation.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Step 1: Go to Inactive Account Manager

Visit myaccount.google.com and sign in. Click Data & Privacy in the left-hand menu. Scroll down to the section labelled "More options" and click Make a plan for your digital legacy. This takes you directly to the Inactive Account Manager setup page.

Step 2: Set Your Inactivity Period

Choose how long Google should wait before taking action. Options are 3, 6, 12, or 18 months of inactivity. Google determines inactivity based on account signals including recent sign-ins, Gmail activity, and Android check-ins — not just whether you have used a physical device. For most people, 12 or 18 months is the right choice, giving sufficient buffer for periods of illness or hospitalization before triggering the process.

Step 3: Add a Phone Number for Warning Messages

Google will send you a text message warning before your account is considered inactive. Make sure the phone number on file is current. This is an important safety net — if you simply go offline for a long holiday or a health issue, Google will attempt to reach you before taking any action.

Step 4: Add Trusted Contacts

You can add up to 10 trusted contacts who will be notified when your account becomes inactive. Provide each person's email address and phone number — Google will verify these can receive notifications. Add multiple family members as backup. Each contact does not need a Google account themselves to receive notifications, though having one makes the data download process smoother.

Step 5: Choose What Data to Share

This is the most important step. Google lets you grant different contacts access to different services. You can share all your data or only specific products. As a starting point:

• Recommended to share: Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Contacts
• Consider carefully: YouTube (may contain private or unlisted videos you intended to keep private)
• Usually fine to exclude: Location History, Search History, Google Chrome browsing data

You can also write a personal message to each contact that will be delivered when the inactivity period triggers. This is an opportunity to leave instructions, context, or simply a few words for the people you care about.

Step 6: Set Account Deletion Preferences

Decide whether to have your Google account deleted after the inactivity period and trusted-contact notifications. Deletion is irreversible once it happens. If you want a clean digital ending, this option is available. If you prefer the account to simply remain inactive indefinitely — useful if family members want to keep sending emails to your address as a form of grief processing — leave deletion turned off. There is no wrong answer, only your preference.

What Your Contacts Experience

When the inactivity period triggers, Google notifies your designated contacts with the message you wrote. They receive a link to download the specific data you approved. The download tool generates a file that can be saved to their own computer or cloud storage. They never get your password or the ability to log in as you — the data is extracted and delivered to them directly by Google.

Important Limitations to Understand

Google Inactive Account Manager only kicks in after your account goes inactive for the period you set. If you pass away suddenly and your family needs immediate access — for example, to find important documents or login credentials — they will still need to go through Google's formal deceased-user request process while they wait for the inactivity timer. This is why having a Letter to Family with key account details documented separately is so valuable — it provides immediate practical help independent of any automated system.

Also note that Google Workspace accounts — work or school accounts provided by an employer or institution — are not covered by Inactive Account Manager. Only personal Google accounts qualify. If you store important personal data in a work Google account, export it regularly using Google Takeout.

Finally, if you have multiple Google accounts — a personal Gmail and a YouTube creator account, for example — you need to configure Inactive Account Manager on each account separately. They are treated completely independently.

Pair This With Apple Legacy Contact

If you are an iPhone or Mac user, the most complete protection comes from setting up both Google Inactive Account Manager and Apple Legacy Contact. Together they cover the two largest repositories of personal digital data most people have. Both take under 15 minutes combined and require no technical knowledge. The combination of the two, plus a documented Letter to Family, gives your executor and family everything they need to manage your digital presence with confidence.