How to Remove a Gmail Account

When a Gmail account is properly deleted from an Android device, it remains accessible through a web browser and can even be reconnected at a later time if you change your mind.

Although some menus and options may vary, instructions apply to all Android versions and devices from all manufacturers.

How to Remove a Gmail Account From an Android Device

Here are the basic steps to remove a Gmail account from an Android device.

1. Open Settings > Accounts.

2. Select the Gmail account.

3. Tap Remove Account.

4. Confirm with a tap on Remove Account

How to Keep Gmail But Stop Emails

Turn off Gmail syncing or notifications if you use a different third-party email app.

1. Open Settings and tap Accounts, or Users & Accounts on some phones.

2. Tap the Gmail account. You may need to tap Gmail first on some devices.

3. Tap Sync Account.

4. Please scroll down to Gmail and tap the toggle next to it to disable Gmail from syncing to your phone. Some devices might call this setting Sync Gmail.

How to Turn Off Gmail Notifications

To keep the Google account on your phone and receive Gmail messages, but don’t receive new mail alerts, follow these steps:

1. In the Gmail app, tap the three horizontal lines in the upper-left corner.

2. Scroll down and tap Settings.

3. Tap the relevant account.

4. Select Notifications > None to turn off notifications.

Problems Removing a Google Account From an Android Phone

Although these instructions work for most Android phones, you might run into problems:

• When you get to step four, you might need to tap the Overflow Menu icon (the three vertically stacked dots) to access the option to remove your account.
• If you have trouble removing the primary Gmail account—the one you used when you first set up your phone—try adding a new Gmail account, setting it as the primary account, and deleting the unwanted one. If that doesn’t work, perform a factory reset. This process will also remove all your data from the phone, so make sure to back up your phone first.

Losing Access to Data Tied to the Gmail Account

You won’t be able to access the apps and content you bought from the Google Play Store if you unlink your Gmail account from the Google Play Store. The data associated with that Gmail account will also be lost, including emails, pictures, calendars, and other items.

You can’t delete a Gmail account from some Android devices. Disable it instead by going to Apps > Gmail > Disable.