Inactive account manager: is anyone there?
Google's Inactive Account Manager follows the same principle
as you in monitoring your older relative to ensure that they are still
breathing. Basically, Google will monitor your Google account for signs of
inactivity, like not logging in for months, not using the account at all, that
sort of thing.
After consulting with you multiple times and not receiving a
response, Google will assume you are in the next life and will send an email to
a "trusted contact" you specified during setup, with details on how
to access the account. That contact can close the account or keep it running.
What they (or you in your will) prefer.
Even if you keep the account active, making it clear that
it's still alive, Google will send you periodic reminders that the Inactive
Account Manager is running. So if you have fallen in love with your trusted
contact, these reminders can push you to change the contact to someone else.
How to set it up
Setting up the Idle Google Account Manager is very easy. Here we'll
explain to you how to do it.
First of all, go to this link and log in. Then you will see
this screen. Click the blue "Start" button to start the process.
You must first decide the parameters of what Google should consider
"inactive".
By default, they set it to 18 months of inactivity, but if
you decide it's too long, you can change it by clicking the little pencil arrow
on the right, and a few more options appear.
Continuing, you are asked to enter a mobile phone number.
After sending you an email to verify your life status and no response, Google
will send you an SMS to make sure before contacting your trusted contact. A
verification SMS will be sent to your phone to confirm the number.
You must also provide another email address to control it.
This will require a verification code that will be sent to that email address
to confirm that it is valid.
After clicking the blue "Next" button, we got to
the "Choose who to notify and what to share" section.
As the screen says, you can choose up to ten people to
notify and they will have access to some of your data. Gmail will also set up
an automatic reply (that you write) that will notify people that the account is
inactive and that they should stop sending emails to that address.
So click "Add person" and a box will appear.
Honestly, I'm just going to add my wife. The idea of adding
another nine people to read my email is too much for me! But you may have
children, parents, close relatives, etc., that you want to add.
After adding someone, you need to choose which Google
accounts of yours you want to share with them. There is a great list, so check
the ones you think have the relevant information you want them to have.
You can choose to add their phone number so they can verify
your identity first, as well as add a personal message. Then you will see your
email on the screen as a reliable contact.
In the next phase, you must decide whether Google should
automatically delete your inactive account. I've decided to let my wife decide,
so I turned this off. You can think differently.
Now click "Review Plan" to make sure everything is
as it should be. Also be sure to turn on email reminders.
Everything looks good. Click "Confirm Plan" to
activate the Inactive Account Manager.
If you decide to deactivate it in the future, you can return
to this page and click "Deactivate my plan".
