Don’t let Google delete your stuff

February 26, 2024

Did you know Google deletes accounts that have been inactive for at least two years? The good news is that you can save that old account you rarely use by signing in.

Once you’re logged in, consider whether it makes sense to download everything associated with that account so you can retire it. Here’s how:

Sign in to your Google account, then go to takeout.google.com.
Choose all the data you wish to export.
Hit Next step, then pick how you’d like to receive this information: A download link via email or added to a Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Box account.
Choose how often you’d like to receive this (once or every two months for a year) and the file type you’d like to receive (either .zip or .tgz). I’d go with a zip file.
Click Create export. You’ll get an email when the process is complete.

That’s it! Go do it before it’s too late.

Tags: email, Google

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💲 One man’s trash: Microsoft’s Trade-in Program turns old gadgets into green. Head to its site, pick what you’ve got (laptops, tablets, gaming consoles, whatever), and receive up to $500. Amazon has the same program, so check to see which offers you more moolah.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Tyler Perry stopped his $800 million Atlanta studio build after seeing OpenAI’s text-to-video tool Sora. He would’ve added 12 soundstages to his 330-acre property. Perry says he’s shocked he “would no longer have to travel to locations. If [he] wanted to be in the snow in Colorado, it’s text.”

📏 Marketing yourself on social? Length matters. On Facebook, mobile cuts you off at 150 characters, so keep your posts short. On X, 70 to 100 characters perform best. On LinkedIn, go long if necessary, but the first 25 words are most important.

📘 Free e-books galore: Project Gutenberg has 70,000 e-books free for the taking (it’s legal, yes). Don’t have a Kindle or e-reader? Put one on your phone and read instead of scrolling the news. Here’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Where is that? You know you sent someone a pic but can’t find it. On iPhone, open Messages, tap a convo then the person’s profile photo or group name. Scroll to Photos > See All. On Android, open Messages, then tap the search bar at the top.

On a job hunt? Search engine evaluation can be a side hustle or a full-time gig. Companies find out how well their websites work by hiring evaluators to give them feedback. An excellent place to start looking for evaluator jobs is LinkedIn.

Quickly switch between Gmail accounts: Click your profile icon at the top right (on both mobile and desktop), select Add account > Sign in. Now, just click the right profile icon to access the account you want.

⏲️ Productivity boost: When you need to focus, a phone timer is not the way to go. Too tempting. Try E.ggtimer.com. It’s not fancy, and you won’t find a ton of bells and whistles. That’s why I like it! Fewer distractions.

Hide your location: Facebook uses location data to serve news and sell you things. If you turn off location services, it won’t use your precise location to target you with ads. Unfortunately, it still has access to your network location, so you’ll need to turn off the feature on your phone and the app. Here are the steps for iPhone and Android.

I got this question a lot after yesterday’s top story: “How do I know Incogni works?” Friend, don’t just take my word for it. They’ll give you your money back if you’re not happy within 30 days. If you were on the fence, this is your sign to try Incogni now for 60% off.