How to Backup Your Google Account(s)

Most of us are storing more and more data in the cloud – by choice or just because that’s how things work these days.

Gmail (a Google service) is the most popular web mail service with over 1.2 billion users -including EB and me. Why do we mention Gmail in a Google Account article. Because… if you have Gmail, you have a Google account. If you have a Google account, you have Gmail.

Google has your data backed up in several locations – in modern, environmentally-controlled data centers with security as tight as Fort Knox. If you’re not from the USA, Fort Knox makes gelatin – Knox Gelatin. I’m just kidding. And the chances that Google will ever lose your data are as slim as the Cleveland Browns winning the Super Bowl.

But despite the fact we are nearly 100% certain that Google is not going to lose your data, we think that it’s still prudent to backup important data to an external drive. If the sun has 1800-style solar flares and they knock out all electronics and the internet, you can access all your email – not that you’ll need it, since you won’t have power to run your computer unless you have a generator.

Yes, I’m running on and on because I don’t want to strike fear into your hearts; I just want to show you how to back up all your Gmail and other data you store on Google services.

First make sure you’re logged into the Gmail or Google Account you want to back up. Then visit the following page to access Google Takeout:

https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout

That link takes your right to the page where you can choose your Google data

Above: Slide the switches to select the Google Data you want to include in your backup archive and then click “Next”.

(Below): After you click “Next”, you’ll be given an opportunity to select the file type of your data backup (we strongly suggest you leave it set to .zip format. Zip files can be opened on almost any computer. Then you can select how you want your data backup archive delivered. We suggest you download you select “Send download link via email”. That way you can save it to your local drive. Once you have it stored locally you can add it to One Drive, Dropbox or Google Drive later on.

Then click “Create archive”. Note it may take hours or days before receiving your backup – it all depends on how much data you have in your Gmail and Google Accounts.

If you choose to have the file sent to you by email…  keep in mind that some mail providers have a limit on the size of attachment they permit. If your attachment is bigger than that limit, you may not receive your backup file by email. If you choose “Add to Drive” Google will place the backup in your Google account on Google Drive. You can easily download it to your computer from there.