Google Inactive Account Manager: make a clear plan for your data
Plan selected Google data sharing or contact notification after inactivity, and explain the difference from an immediate emergency-access arrangement.
Last reviewed . Rules change — check with the provider before you rely on this guide.
This plan is triggered by inactivity #
Google says Inactive Account Manager lets you arrange contact notification or sharing of selected data after an account has been inactive for a chosen period. It is not an immediate way for a family member to get help during a hospital stay. Set it up through Google’s official account controls.
Decide what the contact should receive #
Google’s controls let you choose contacts and data types, and not all information can be shared. Work through the current controls carefully rather than assuming that naming someone shares everything. Review the contact details and the message they will receive.
Explain the plan separately to your chosen person #
Write a plain note about what you set up, why you chose that person and where the rest of your digital plan lives. They should not have to infer your wishes from an unexpected provider email.
I have made a Google inactivity plan. My intention is [preserve selected files / notify a person]. This is separate from our immediate household emergency plan. The current inventory and supporting instructions are at [protected location]. I last checked the settings on [date].
Keep an immediate household plan too #
If you are temporarily unavailable, a helper may need provider contacts, care instructions or bill information before an inactivity period has elapsed. Keep those practical instructions in an appropriately accessible family system. Do not make urgent household arrangements depend entirely on one provider’s inactivity trigger.
Recheck settings after changes #
Review the arrangement when contacts, phone numbers, account use or wishes change. If no plan was set up and someone has died, Google’s deceased-user request route is a separate process subject to review. Confirm the desired data outcome before requesting account closure.
Source: Google: Requests regarding a deceased user’s account
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Sources and editorial notes
Prepared by WiseTomorrow, the maker of Wise Box. These resources help organize information; they are not an independent product review. No specialist review is claimed. How these resources are prepared.
- Google: About Inactive Account Manager · Source checked 2026-09-09
- Google: Requests regarding a deceased user’s account · Source checked 2026-09-09
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