Most people just delete Gmail and call it done but I wanted to try something different. I’m going through everything connected to my Gmail first and removing all the links before I actually delete the account. This way I know nothing important is still attached to it when it’s gone.
I’ve already disconnected more than 30 different apps and services. Gmail makes signing up for stuff really easy but that also means Google can follow what you do on tons of websites. All that info goes into their system for ads and tracking.
One good thing about doing this is I found some accounts that weren’t saved in my password manager. I use Brave’s built-in one right now. I made sure to save those passwords manually.
What I figured out:
Some websites let you switch to a different email even if you started with Gmail
But some don’t give you that option. ChatGPT won’t let you change it
I use ChatGPT a lot for my job so I made a new account with ProtonMail instead. Eventually I want to find a different AI tool that doesn’t tie me to Google
This is part of removing Google from my whole digital life. Starting with Gmail makes sense because so many things connect through it. You can check your own connections by going to your Google account settings then Security and looking for third-party app access.
Wow, that’s some serious dedication! I just moved my main stuff to a new email and abandoned the old Gmail. Should probably clean it up like you did, but it feels like a huge pain. Did you use any tools to track down all those connections, or did you go through everything manually? You’ve got me thinking I should tackle this too.
I did this last year. Banks and subscription services make email changes ridiculously hard - they treat your email like it’s set in stone. Had to call customer service for three different places because their systems just wouldn’t accept the change.
The real surprise? I found tons of forgotten trial subscriptions I’d signed up for using Google’s quick signup. Some had quietly converted to paid subscriptions without me noticing.
For services that won’t let you change emails, I keep a spreadsheet with expiration dates. Then I can just let those accounts die naturally. Not perfect, but beats staying trapped in Google’s ecosystem forever.
Took about three weeks doing it here and there, but totally worth the peace of mind.
Financial services are the absolute worst for email changes. My mortgage company wanted three forms of ID and a notarized letter just to update my contact email. Social media platforms? Done in seconds.
What really surprised me was all the old forum accounts and shopping sites I’d forgotten about. Some going back years with my outdated info just sitting there. Google’s data export tool actually helped me find these by showing login patterns I didn’t even remember.
Most frustrating part? Two-factor authentication resets. Had to keep Gmail active way longer than I wanted because some services kept sending security codes there even after I changed the primary email. Definitely plan for that delay if you’re doing this.