Google, on thursday announced a new feature with a rather weird sounding name- Inactive Account Manager. By the way, the feature does not literally imply an after-life/death situation. So do not assume it literally.
Most people choose to deactivate their accounts temporarily. So be it your Gmail messages, photos, or any other information stored in the Google Drive, you now have the rights to manage your data the way you like. This feature is most handy if you are one of the either categories who wish to go socially incognito for some time, for any reason.
Like Facebook that addressed the problem of digital data-handling by "memorializing" an account way back in 2009, Google is trying to do something like that.
The long and short of the feature is that it allows users to delete their almost-inactive account data for a specific timeperiod, say three months to a year. This includes your YouTube videos, Google+posts, Google Drive files, emails. Added to this, users can, alternatively, choose to transfer the data to relatives or close friends.
Before the change is activated, the user will duly receive a text message followed by a secondary mail from the Google Team for confirmation.
To make use of this latest feature, that can be set up individually, you need to follow these simple steps.
1. Navigate to the Accounts Page > Account Management section > to select "learn more and go to setup" option
2. Read the service instructions carefully before choosing the SetUp button.
3. Coming to the Setup Page, there are 4 important sections- "Alert Me", "Timeout Period", "Notify contacts and Share Data", " Optionally delete account.
3. Coming to the Setup Page, there are 4 important sections- "Alert Me", "Timeout Period", "Notify contacts and Share Data", " Optionally delete account.
4. Fill in the necessary personal information- cell number and e-mail address in the "Alert Me" section for Google's Team to get in touch with you. Google will send you a "warning text message" one month before your account officially becomes inactive.
5. Choose the necessary inactivity time frame in the "Timeout period" section. It can be for 3 to 12 months so that Google automatically does not assume you dead.
6.In the "Notify contacts and share data", users cans add upto 10 contacts who are notified of your account going inactive with the specific timeperiod details. You can select specific Google products to be shared as data with these contacts
5. Choose the necessary inactivity time frame in the "Timeout period" section. It can be for 3 to 12 months so that Google automatically does not assume you dead.
6.In the "Notify contacts and share data", users cans add upto 10 contacts who are notified of your account going inactive with the specific timeperiod details. You can select specific Google products to be shared as data with these contacts
7. Your selected contact group can access or download this shared data well upto 3 months. The important step before this becomes the provision of the active phone numbers of each selected contact so that Google sends out a verification text with code to the contact. This really takes care of the data privacy aspect.
8. Alternatively, one can set up a auto-responser to answer the incoming e-mails during the inactivity period.
9. If you care not to share any of your existing data with your friends and family, the fourth section provides an option to "optionally delete account". Just select the "On" option to "delete account".
10. Lastly select the blue-colored "Enable" button for the setup to take places
8. Alternatively, one can set up a auto-responser to answer the incoming e-mails during the inactivity period.
9. If you care not to share any of your existing data with your friends and family, the fourth section provides an option to "optionally delete account". Just select the "On" option to "delete account".
10. Lastly select the blue-colored "Enable" button for the setup to take places
You can leave us a reply in the comments section about how you feel about this move.
Stay tuned with E-junkie for more useful tips and tricks daily.
Post a Comment