Do you ever use Google+? Probably not. Google+ is the world’s second largest social network, not because so many people use it, but because so many people have Gmail accounts and everyone with a Gmail account automatically gets a Google + account. It’s kind of like the days when Internet Explorer was the most used browser by far — because it comes with Windows and there are a lot of Windows users. Unlike Internet Explorer which can never be completely extricated from Windows, you can ditch your Google + account and it won’t affect your Gmail account, your email messages, your Gmail contact, chat buddies on Google Talk and/or Gmail. It will remove your Google Profile and your YouTube channel (you’ll be able to view YouTube videos of course). If you don’t use Google+ social network and you don’t care if you have a YouTube channel, then you can go ahead and remove you Google Plus account fairly easily.
Here’s how to do it:
Open your Gmail account and click on your Profile.
When you click on your account picture or icon you’ll see a dropdown like the one above. Click on “Account”.
Next, click on Data tools (see below):
When you click on Data tools you’ll see a menu box like the one below. Click on “Delete Google+ profile and features” :
When click “Delete Google+ profile and features” you’ll see a page listing of everything that will be deleted We suggest you read that over so you know exactly what’s being deleted. Your Gmail account, your email messages, your Gmail contacts and your chat buddies on Google Talk and Gmail chat will NOT be deleted.
You’ll have to check the box labeled: “Required: Yes, I understand that deleting the Google profile for (your account name) can’t be undone and the data I delete can’t be restored.”
If you want to go ahead and get rid of your Google Profile / Google+ account, check the required box and click the button labeled “Remove selected services”. And that’s it. A reminder: Deleting your Google+ account and Google Profile will not affect your Gmail account.
Thanks so much for walking us through this process. I’m not sure, but I was thinking maybe Google+ was the avenue used to send much of the unwanted and unsolicited email I’ve been receiving from people I didn’t know who also have gmail accounts.
I have many videos stored on Youtube. Would this affect that?
Thank you for that. I’m sure other people may use it, but it is not for me…
Does deleting a Google plus delete your email as well?
No, it does not affect Gmail.
I’ve been trying to delete my google + account for 2 hrs with no success.The whole reason I want to delete it is because its attached to my gmail. Is the reason I’ve had no success because I’m on a tablet?
Do I need to do this on a desktop?
Do you want to delete your google account and all its services?
This is helpful. This put my mind at ease, I thought my gmail will be deleted as well as all other data.
Delete google account i can’t figure out how do not touch g mail account …..my e mail address xxxx@gmail.com please leave my g mail alone please remove cloud too
Gmail is part of your Google account. You can’t delete your Google account and just keep Gmail. It doesn’t work that way. You either have Gmail and your Google account or you delete your Google account and you won’t have Gmail.
If I just delete Google plus will I still be able to access Google Calendar?
See this article
If you don’t use Google+ for social networking, you don’t have to worry about anything, nothing is going to change. Not Gmail, not Calendar, Not Blogger or anything else… just Google+.
I login to my gmail account but my page did not look like yours. Does this mean I am not using google+?
The article you’re commenting on is 5 years old. Gmail has had many changes in 5 years. Please read our latest article on Google+ here.
When I login to my gmail account, I was unable to find anything else like you showed after going to my google account. Does this mean I am not part of the google +?
It doesn’t matter. If you don’t use Google+ you’re all set – in April Google is getting rid of Google + anyway.