How to Recover Your Google Account

by | Mar 3, 2023 | Android, Computing, E-mail, Gmail

In today’s digital age, your Google account is an essential part of your online identity. Aside from checking emails, it acts as a gateway for accessing Google’s apps and services, including Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Photos. It’s one of the first things you input when setting up a new Android phone or one of the best Chromebooks.

But what do you do if you lose your Google account? Account recoveries can be tricky. You could create a new Google account in only a few seconds, but you would risk losing your emails, contacts, calendar details, Drive files, and more. If you’ve lost your Google account, there are several ways to recover it.

Whether you forgot your password, lost access to your phone, or suspect your account was compromised, whip out your PC and follow these steps to regain control of your account.

How to recover a Google account with a lost username.

While it’s not as common as password loss, people sometimes forget the address of their Google account. If you fall into this category but remember your password, here’s how to start the recovery process:

1. Go to Google’s account recovery page.
2. Click the Forgot email option since you can’t remember the name. You’re asked to input your recovery contacts.

3. Enter the recovery email or phone number you added to the account.
4. Click Next.

5. Enter your first and last names or the names used to register the account if you used something different.

6. Click Next. A Get a verification code dialog box displays as a final confirmation step.
7. Click Send.

8. Check your email or text inbox for the verification code.
9. Enter the code and click Next. You’re shown a list of accounts associated with the recovery phone number or email.

10. Select the appropriate account.

11. Enter the password and click Next.
12.Verify your login using two-step verification if you enabled it.

How to recover a Google account with a lost password.

For most people, email usernames are easier to remember than passwords. If you can’t remember the passcode to your Google account, follow these steps:

1. Go to Google’s account recovery page.
2. Enter your email address.
3. Click Next. You’re taken to the account recovery setup.

4. Select a sign-in method from the options. You can choose between entering a password or a verification code sent to the email address.

5. Select the Enter your password option. You’re prompted to enter the last password you remember using with the account; the newer, the better.

6. Alternatively, choose Get a verification code at (your email). This option only works if you are logged in to the account on an accessible device and only forgot the password.

7. Click Next and follow the prompts to the end.
8. If none of those works for you, use the Try another way to sign in option. You’re given two new methods.

9. Tap Yes on your phone or tablet to send a recovery prompt to your phone, allowing you to log in by choosing Yes, it’s me. But you need to be logged in on at least one device for this to work.

10. In the Enter one of your 8-digit backup codes box, enter a previously-set recovery code.

11. If none of those are helpful, choose the Try another way to sign in option. You have the option to recover the account with the linked phone number. For safety reasons, you only see the last two digits.
12. Click Send. A verification code is sent to the number.
13. Enter the code and click Next.

14. If that option doesn’t work, use the Try another way to sign in option one more time. Google sends a reset link after 72 hours. But you’ll need access to the account’s emails on a logged-in device to see it.

15. Click Verify to complete the setup once you find a successful recovery process. You’re prompted to enter a new password. Use a unique and strong password for the account, and store it safely.

How to recover a deleted Google Account

If you deleted your Google Account, you can attempt to get it back instead of creating a new one. To do this, go to Google’s account recovery page, enter your email address in the box, and click Next. Then, follow the prompts as highlighted in the section above.

 Note: Time is of the essence when recovering a deleted account because you may lose your saved data if you don’t act fast.  Even if that’s the case, you should be able to sign in to Google services like Gmail and Google Play without a hassle.

Tips to increase your chances for a successful recovery.

Recovering your account can be straightforward if you give Google reasons to believe you’re the rightful owner. You can do this in many ways. Here are some of them:

  • Use a device you’ve previously used to sign in to the account.
  • Be in a familiar location, such as home or work, where you usually sign in to Google’s services.
  • Use the same browser (Chrome, Edge, or Safari) you typically use.
  • Enter the most recent password you remember.
  • Avoid typos when entering passwords.

Protect your Google account.

Whether you forget your username or password or your account was stolen, recovering a Google account can be straightforward if you’ve done the necessary preparations beforehand. These essential setups include keeping a record of your password with a good password manager and setting up a recovery email account and phone number.

These should serve as a fail-safe against any possible issues that might arise later on. You should also strengthen the security of your account by enabling two-factor authentication and ensuring your account information is up to date.

Haroun Adamu, “How to recover your Google Account”, androidpolice.com, March 1, 2023