How to Delete G Suite Emails & Things to Consider While Deleting User Mailbox
Every G Suite admin, at least once in his/her lifetime, looks for a way to delete some emails from a user mailbox. Unfortunately, this is impossible without logging into that particular user account and deleting G Suite emails then and there.
But, of course, that’s not our focus today. It is just a piece of information we would like you to know so you won’t waste your time looking for it.
Our main focus is how a user can delete G Suite emails from his/her account. We will also take a look at the following points:
- Some things to consider while deleting G Suite user emails.
- Is it possible to back up emails and then, delete them automatically?
- If required, the way to delete the G Suite user account completely.
Well then, without wasting any more of your time, let us start with the topics at hand.
How to Delete G Suite Emails?
Please keep in mind that an ADMIN cannot delete other G Suite users’ emails without logging into their accounts individually. So, you must first sign in to your G Suite user account and proceed with the instructions given below.
Alert: The following steps will delete your data permanently. It is recommended to back up the user data before deleting them. Also, take a look at a few things to consider before deleting the G Suite emails.
Method 1: How to Delete A Google Workspace Account by Delete Option
- Once logged in, open the Mail.
- Open any folder that you wish to delete emails from and tap the checkbox.
- Then, click on the Delete icon to delete all the selected emails.
- Now, open the Trash folder. You will find your deleted items here.
- Click on the Empty Trash now option. And all your emails are permanently deleted from G Suite account.
- Repeat till all emails are gone.
Method 2: Use Filters for Complete Deletion
- Hit the Gear icon at the top-right and select “Settings“
- Select “Filters” and choose “Create a New Filter” at the bottom.
- Fill your filter criteria in the pop-up window – use “*” in the “From” field to select all email messages. In the “Has the Words” field, input “before YYYY/MM/DD ” – here, keep the date one day after the current date.
- Hit “Create filter with this search“
- Check to mark the option – Delete It, and also check mark “Also Apply Filter to ### Matching Conversations Below” box.
- Hit “Create Filter” and all the filtered results will be deleted. Then, open the Trash folder and choose Empty trash now to delete G Suite emails permanently.
- Also, you MUST delete the filter once G Suite is empty to prevent it from deleting emails that will be received in the future.
Before Delete, a Gsuite Email Account Take a Backup of Your Data
Yes, it is possible to do so. Most G Suite users/admin prefers to keep a local copy of the emails before deleting them.
Since Google does not provide such a method, users often opt for professional tool like Google Workspace Backup Software. Because experts always suggest keeping a backup of your important data for future reference. This application takes backup of your G Suite account Contacts, Emails, Calendars, and Documents instantly without any hassle. With this application, no file size limitation is associated with the utility. It is tested with 2TB of data. It saves several Google Workspace user account data instantly.
Steps to Take Backup of Important Data
- Start the tool on the Windows system and hit the Backup button.
- Select Google workspace to apply filters, and select the data category option that users want to archive.
- Enter credentials and authenticate them.
- Offer a destination location to save the archived data and validate them.
- Validate the imported users, then click on Start Backup >> Start button.
Some Things to Consider While Deleting G Suite User Emails.
One must consider a few things before deleting the emails permanently.
Transfer the Emails:
You can go through the emails once before deleting them, simply transfer the emails to some other G Suite user account. Then, you can delete the current emails and still have a copy left on the other G Suite account.
Rename the User:
The account can actually be renamed and used again by another employee without the need to delete the emails/account. You can simply create an alias (nickname) for that user.
Transfer Ownership:
This is when you are looking to delete the account entirely. In such a case, you can actually transfer the ownership of the account to other employees (someone replacing the employee who has this email account).
Suspend the Account:
If the account is not necessary for the time being, but you don’t know what to do with it at the moment, you can simply suspend the account for now. It will block the user’s access to the account temporarily.
Create a Local Copy First:
Actually, the Most Important Point is to create a local copy of the emails before deleting them. Thus, you will always have the important stuff with you even after emptying the entire mailbox.
If Required, The Way to Delete the G Suite User Account Completely
In some scenarios, the G Suite admin needs to delete the G Suite user account, for example when an employee leaves the firm.
- Sign in to Google Domains (https://domains.google.com/registrar/)
- Select your domain name.
- Open the menu (=) and select Email.
- Look for the user under “Add or remove people from G Suite,” and click the Delete icon.
- Confirm the deletion by clicking on the Delete button.
Deleting the user account will delete all the user emails and other data.
Why Do We Care
Sometimes, A G Suite admin tackles a situation where he/she needs to delete the user account/mailbox data. For example – when an employee leaves the organization. Some administrators simply delete the whole user account, some only suspend the account, while the majority of them delete the emails and assign the account to another employee.
Whatever the case, in this blog, we have covered how a G Suite user can delete G Suite emails permanently. We have also provided some things that must be considered before deletion. And pertaining to that, we have discussed a method that automatically backs up emails and deletes them afterward. Anyhow, you may choose to delete G Suite user emails with/without considering anything, it’s all up to you.
