Losing access to your Google / Gmail account can be an incredibly frustrating and unhappy experience. When researching this article, I came across several accounts of people who had been locked out of their accounts after forgetting their passwords — and a few who had still not been able to get back in, even after several weeks. Show
Google does provide a list of methods to try if you’ve been locked out of your account — either because you’ve forgotten your password or because somebody has hacked into your account and changed it. Sometimes, they work. Your options beyond Google’s suggestions may be limited, so it’s best to be prepared ahead of time. Here are some suggestions to place you in the best possible position to get your stuff back. This story is part of Keep it Locked: how to protect yourself online. Back up your account regularlyIf you should ever (knock on wood) lose access to your account, it will be less of a blow — and is less likely to get your blood pressure shooting up — if you have a recent backup of your data. Google provides a means for you to download your data that it calls Takeout. You can download all the data from all of your Google apps, or from some of them, or just from a single app such as Gmail. The formats of the downloads vary depending on the type of data. Your email will be downloaded in the MBOX format, which can be then uploaded into another Gmail account or into most other email services or apps. Use a password managerAn ounce of prevention being worth — well, you know the rest — the best way to prevent yourself from losing access to a Google account because of a lost password is to use a password manager to keep your password safe. (And no, keeping your Google password in the Google Password Manager isn’t going to help.) Password managers like Bitwarden, 1Password, and Zoho Vault can make sure that sudden brain freezes won’t keep you out of your email. Keep a record of your old passwordOne of the ways Google verifies your identity if you lose your password is to ask you to type in your previous password. If it’s been a while since you changed your password (assuming you’ve ever actually changed it), it may be hard (or impossible) to remember that former password. So when you change your Google password — and it’s not a bad idea to change it regularly — keep a record of your old password somewhere safe. A good strategy here is to use your password manager — you use one, right? — to keep track of old passwords. Most password managers will offer to update the existing entry for an app when you create a new password; if possible, you can opt instead to create a new entry and then go back and edit the old one to say something like “Gmail - old password.” Related
If you’re not using a password manager (and if you’ve lost your password, there’s a good chance you’re not), then perhaps you can keep a list of old passwords in an encrypted file. Just in case. Worse comes to worst, Google suggests that you try to remember any password you’ve used in the past — or your best guess. Check to see what recovery info is availableIt’s a good idea to provide Google ahead of time with as much recovery info as you feel comfortable with, so that if you ever need to verify your identity, you have some choices. It’s a good idea to include several ways to verify your account.
Set up a recovery email accountYour recovery email account can be another Gmail account, another email account from a different service, or even a relative’s or friend’s account. (Make sure that relative or friend is security-savvy.)
You can include a verified recovery email to help in the recovery of your account. Set up a recovery phone number:
You can also add a recovery phone number; Google will call or text you with a code. Remember when you started the accountIf all else fails, Google may ask you approximately when you created the account. Personally, I have no idea when I started most of my Gmail accounts; if you want to check out when you started yours, probably the easiest way is to find your earliest Gmails (now, when you have access to your account) and keep that info somewhere safe. (This, of course, assumes that you haven’t been efficient enough to delete all your old emails; in that case, this won’t help.)
Finding your oldest emails may help you remember when you started your account. Google does offer some other pieces of advice for those who are having trouble restoring their websites, including sending all the info you can using your usual computer, in the same location that you usually compute in, and with your usual browser. Recover your passwordSo what if you actually do lose your password or can’t get into your account for another reason? Well, you go to Google’s recovery page and start answering those questions. Unfortunately, when I tried it on a test account, I realized that my options were limited indeed. I was first asked for the last password I had used, then for a verification code from my alternate email, a verification code from my phone, and the answer to my security question (despite Google’s assertion that it no longer used security questions). When I claimed I didn’t have any of these available, the last screen simply urged me to try again. I went through the whole rigmarole again — and was again urged to “Try again.” There was no alternative offered. You can also try going to the “Can’t sign into your Google Account” page and selecting one or more of the choices offered to see if there are any other options. Following along with one of these issues may help you recover your account. But be aware that, even if you can enter the information Google’s bots ask for, it may not be enough. Back in 2017, tech journalist Ron Miller got locked out of his Google account; in an article, he described his considerable travails. So what can you do? If you really want to keep your emails — and other Google data — available, make sure you have as many ways to restore your account as possible, and don’t forget to back it all up, just in case. Otherwise, after trying everything you can, you may have to do what Google suggests at the bottom of its “Tips to complete account recovery steps” page — and create a new account. Update, December 10th, 2021, 9AM ET: This article was originally published on August 4th, 2021, and has been updated to add information on password managers, and to reflect current methods and options in Gmail. Join the conversation Most Popular
Verge Deals/ Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. Email (required)Sign up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. How can I contact Google to recover my account?To get started, head to g.co/recover and enter your Gmail address. If possible, try the following to make recovery easier: Use a computer, phone, or tablet you've previously used to sign into your account. Use the same browser that you usually do, like Chrome or Safari.
How can I recover my Google Account without password?You can access the Account Recovery form from the password-assistance page by selecting "I don't know my password," entering your username, and clicking the link to verify your identity on the following page.
How can I recover my Google Account without email and phone number?How to Recover Gmail Password without Phone Number and Recovery Email?. Go to Google Recovery Account. Go to Google Recovery Account. ... . Enter Your Email. ... . Select 'Try another way to sign in' ... . Click on 'Try another way' ... . Click on 'Try another way' Again. ... . Wait for Next 48 Hours. ... . Check Your Email for the Recovery Link.. |