Question about setting up a Google account on Android

Look, I know I’m probably asking some rookie stuff here, so go easy on me since I’m pretty much clueless about this. 😁

So, I just picked up a new phone and I’m planning on handing my old one down to my cousin. But before I do that, I need to make sure he—or anyone else using it—can't get into my Google account. Just so you know, I originally set the whole thing up using a Yahoo mail address.

Anyway, I’ve got a couple of things I need to clear up:

1. From what I can tell, there isn't a simple "log out" button for Google (like on the App Store), but there is an option in the phone settings to delete the account entirely. If I go ahead and wipe that Google account from the device, will my Yahoo mail still work with that same address I used to sign up? Or does deleting the Google account kill everything, including the actual email? I don't care about the Google account itself—I'm fine with nuking it—but I definitely want to keep the email address active.

2. Can I just go on a different device and create a brand new Google account using that exact same email address?

Your Google account and your actual device are two totally separate things.

Since your Google account and all its settings live on Google's servers—including that link to your Yahoo mail—you won't need to create a brand-new account when you get a new phone. You just log in with the one you already have.

Before you hand that old device over to your cousin, I’d suggest doing a factory reset. That’ll wipe all your personal data, including any traces of your Google account settings from the hardware itself.

Thanks. 🙂 I get that the account and the device are two different things—maybe I just phrased that poorly.

Yeah, a factory reset... honestly, it didn't even cross my mind.

Btw, since you're sticking around, what's the deal with unlocking the phone after a reset? I should be able to unlock it without any issues, right? They aren't connected, are they?

I'm not feeling 100% right now—so I’d rather not get into the whole drum discussion—but I think the device will stay unlocked even after a factory reset. It should be fine, but maybe try asking over on the Mobile Tech subforum just to be sure.

Thanks, I will. 👍

Look, I’ve gone through the whole ritual of factory resetting my phone more times than I can count, just hoping it would magically fix things, but it’s still locked tight... honestly, it feels like those two things don't even have anything to do with each other, you know?