How to Delete a Gmail Account

For most people, email has become a primary form of communication. Checking email multiple times a day is not uncommon and for many people, their email address is a more reliable way to reach them than their phone number. People often use the same email address for years, but every once in a while, either due to excess spam, hacking or other concerns, it's necessary to delete that email address. For users of Gmail, Google's free email service, deleting an account takes several steps.

1. Sign into your Google account and click the Account Settings button.
2. Scroll down to the bottom where it says "Delete your account or services."
3. The menu will give you two options: "Delete products" or "Delete Google account and data." To delete simply your Gmail account, click "Delete products." To delete your entire Google account including data, search history and preferences, click "Delete Google account and data."
   
4. Select the Gmail account you are planning to delete from the menu.
   
5. Enter your password when prompted.
   
6. Click the "next" button.
7. Click the trashcan icon. You will also have the option of downloading all of your messages or copying your existing email to another Gmail account or new Gmail address. 
8. Enter an alternate email address for verification.
9. Click the "Send verification email" icon.
10. Log into the email you used as an alternate and open the email from no-reply@accounts.google.com. Follow the directions inside.
11. The link in the email may prompt you to log back into your Gmail account; if so, do so. 
12. Select "Yes I want to delete" when you are prompted to confirm your Gmail deletion.
13. Click "Delete Gmail," but be advised that this step is permanent and irreversible. Once you have deleted your account you cannot get back into it. 
14. Click "Done."
    

Removing your Gmail account from your iPhone's mail app follows a series of steps that can be completed on your phone, without requiring the use of a desktop or laptop computer.

1. Tap the Settings icon on your iPhone.
2. Next, open the "Mail" section on the Settings menu (older Operating Systems may have this section classified as "Mail, Contacts and Calendars").
3. Select "Accounts." 
4. Choose the email account you're hoping to delete.
   
5. Select "Delete Account" at the bottom of the screen.
   
6. Confirm the deletion when prompted.

This will remove all email associated with that Gmail account from your iPhone.

Bear in mind that as with an iPhone, when you delete your Gmail account from an Android phone, you will also be removing everything associated with that account from the phone.

1. Open the "Settings" app on the Android device.
2. Select "Users & Accounts."
3. Click on the Gmail account you are trying to remove.
   
4. Select "Remove account."
5. You will be prompted to enter the security code, pattern or pin for the device if this is the sole Gmail account on the Android.