How to Delete Your Google Account - From Your Phone or for Good
updated 11 July 2026
Quick answer
Removing a Google account from your phone only disconnects it from the device - the account still exists. To delete it completely, go to myaccount.google.com, open Data & privacy, scroll to Delete your Google Account and confirm with your password. After permanent deletion you lose Gmail, Drive, YouTube and your Google Play purchases.
Step by step
- 1
Back up your data with Google Takeout
Go to takeout.google.com and select the services whose data you want to keep - Gmail, Drive, photos, contacts. Google packs everything into an archive you can download to your computer or save to another cloud. With a lot of files the package can take several hours to prepare, so do this before deleting the account.
- 2
Sign in at myaccount.google.com
Open the account management page in a browser and sign in to the account you want to delete. The panel works the same on a computer and on a phone. If you have several accounts, make sure it's the right one - you delete exactly the account you're signed in to.
- 3
Go to Data & privacy
In the menu on the left, choose Data & privacy. Scroll all the way down to the section with additional account options. There you'll find Delete your Google Account.
- 4
Confirm the account deletion
Click Delete your Google Account and enter your password to confirm your identity. Google will show a list of the services and data that will be lost. Tick both consent boxes and confirm with the delete button.
How to remove a Google account from your phone
On an Android phone you disconnect the account via Settings, then Accounts (or Passwords & accounts), select your Google account and tap Remove account. The device disconnects from the account, but the account itself stays untouched - you can still sign in to it elsewhere. It's a good move before selling a phone or when you want to clear someone else's account off a device.
If you're after permanent deletion rather than just disconnecting, open myaccount.google.com in your phone's browser and go to Data & privacy, then Delete your Google Account. The same page works on a phone and on a computer, so you don't need to sit down at a laptop. Before you do it, make sure the phone doesn't hold files you need or purchases tied to the account.
What you lose along with your Google account
Permanent deletion removes Gmail along with the address itself - messages sent to it will start bouncing, and nobody can claim the address on your behalf. Files on Google Drive, pictures in Google Photos and contacts saved to the account all disappear.
You also lose the YouTube channel and history tied to the account, as well as apps, movies and games bought on Google Play. Play purchases can't be transferred to another account, so if you have paid items there, factor that in before deleting.
The recovery window after deletion
For a short time after deletion Google gives you a chance to restore the account. If you change your mind quickly, try signing in again and going through the recovery procedure on Google's help page. The sooner you react, the better the chance your data comes back.
This window is neither guaranteed nor unlimited - after some time the account and data disappear for good. Don't treat recovery as a backup plan; genuinely think the decision through before confirming. A Google Takeout copy is more reliable than counting on restoration.
Frequently asked questions
›How do I remove a Google account from my phone without deleting the whole account?
Go to Settings, then Accounts, select the Google account and tap Remove account. This disconnects the account from the phone, but the account keeps working on other devices. Great before selling or giving away a phone.
›Will I lose my contacts after deleting my Google account?
Contacts saved to the Google account disappear with it, so export them through Google Takeout or save them to your SIM card first. Your phone number as such belongs to your carrier and doesn't depend on the Google account. You only lose the contacts stored in Google's cloud.
›How long do I have to recover a deleted Google account?
Google doesn't give a fixed deadline, but for some time after deletion you can try to restore the account through the recovery page. The odds shrink with every day, so act as fast as you can. Once that window closes, the account is gone for good.
›Will deleting my Google account remove my YouTube channel?
Yes, the channel and all YouTube history tied to that account disappear with it. If you want to keep your content, download it through Google Takeout first. The channel can't be saved once the main account is deleted.
›I removed the account from my phone and it still works - why?
Because removing the account in your phone's Settings only disconnects it from the device; it doesn't delete the account itself. To delete it permanently, use myaccount.google.com and the Delete your Google Account option. They're two different operations.