There’s no denying that security measures like two-factor authentication and complex system-generated passwords provide strong protection. But there will inevitably come a time when you can’t seem to remember an important registration. And while we hope it’s a harmless food delivery app that you rarely use, it’s still important to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
For our purposes, we’ll assume you’ve forgotten your login details for something important, like your Gmail. Luckily, this kind of thing happens all the time and companies like Google have a number of recovery options that can help you recover your login information. We’ve also put together this guide to help you through every step of the process.
Anita George / Digital Trends
I forgot my Gmail password
The most common Gmail account recovery problem is forgetting your password. This happens to everyone, and getting the password back is a pretty easy task. Here’s how.
Step 1: First, you want to visit this Google website. This is the account recovery website. Enter your e-mail address.
Step 2: After you enter your email address, Google will ask you to enter your last saved password. If you don’t remember, select that Try something different Link below.
Step 3: Google will then send you a verification code to the phone number you signed up with or another email address associated with your Gmail account.
Step 4: A message with the verification code will be sent to your phone or associated email address. Enter the code in the field on the Google account recovery page and select Next.
Step 5: On the welcome back screen, you can either reset your password by selecting Update password or choose Keep going to go to your Google Account dashboard where you can then select the Gmail account icon to view your Gmail account inbox.
I need to restore my Google account
A second step to recovering your Gmail or Google account is to forget both your password and email address. This is certainly a terrible situation, but Google has some steps you can follow if something like this happens to you.
Step 1: First, visit the Google Account Recovery help page.
Navigate to the section titled I forgot the email address you used to log in. Then select the Follow these steps blue hyperlink.
Step 2: Enter your phone number or alternate email address that you set up when you first signed in to Gmail or Google. You will also need to enter your account’s full name (first and last name). Again, Google will send you a code to confirm that you are accessing the account. Enter the code when prompted.
Step 3: Google will show you a list of accounts it thinks belong to you. Select your account and follow the on-screen steps. You can reset your password as described in the section above.
Step 4: In some cases, Google may also ask you to answer as many questions as possible to recover your account. Choose the right questions and answer them. Then you can reset the password.
I can’t log in to my Google account at all
The absolute worst case scenario is that you won’t be able to log in to your Gmail or Google account at all. If this happens to you and none of our methods above work, you may think you are lost. But don’t worry – Google has a support page that might help you.
Step 1: First, visit this It is not possible to log in to your Google account Page. From there, select one of the problems you are facing. There will be many listed.
Step 2: Follow the instructions listed for each result. You may need to take additional steps. Most of them involve verifying your identity using your phone number or answering questions.
How do I contact Gmail support?
If you would like to speak to a Google representative to help you recover your account, you can do so on the Gmail support page. In the Describe your problem When you start typing “I forgot my account…” in the search box, your browser should generate results like “…” Change or reset your passwordAnd How to recover your Google account or Gmail.
How do I secure a hacked Gmail account?
If you can’t sign in to your Gmail account because your device and/or your Google Account have been hacked, you should lock your Google Account as soon as possible. To do this, first go to Google’s account recovery page.
You will then be asked to answer a series of security questions to start the recovery process. The answers are case sensitive. We therefore recommend entering them on a device you are familiar with.
Once you’ve logged back into your Google account, select Security In the left navigation pane, click Review security events. If an activity occurred that you did not perform, click No, that wasn’t me and follow the on-screen instructions.
How do I set up two-factor authentication for my Gmail account?
Two-factor authentication (commonly referred to as 2FA) is an additional security measure for your important accounts. Instead of relying solely on a username and password, 2FA adds a secondary requirement to your login process, such as a reCAPTCHA entry or an answer to one or more security questions.
Go to this page to start enabling 2FA for your Google account.
If we don’t have a solution for you, check out Google’s support page for further advice.
You may also want to check out our other related guides, such as: B. How to recover deleted messages on an iPhone or iPad.
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