How to Avoid Getting Locked Out of Your Google Account
Many of us We have a lot of digital data locked in our Google accounts: emails, photos, chats, documents, schedules, restaurant reviews. Losing access to this data could be quite catastrophic.
There are steps you can take before this happens to minimize the chances that you and your Google account are permanently separated. You should implement the strongest possible security around the account, which includes setting up two-factor authentication, and you should review your options for regaining access if the worst were to happen.
These options now include Recovery Contacts, where you specify friends and relatives you trust who can help you get back to a locked account. Here’s how it works, plus information on other account recovery features you should be aware of.
Configure recovery contacts
We will start with the last account recovery feature, namely Recovery Contacts. This is a list of up to 10 people that you specify, and when you try to go back to your Google account, they may be asked to confirm access in the same way you would normally approve a prompt on your own phone (which is useful if your phone is lost, for example).
To set up your recovery contacts, go to your Google account on the web, then click Security. This is the page where you can control access to your account, check the apps and devices you’ve linked to it, and view recent activity on your account. Under the list of connection options, click Recovery Contacts.
Click Add a recovery contact to start building your list. You need to enter the email addresses of everyone you want to add as a recovery contact, and you will be offered some suggestions on the screen. Your chosen contacts must have a Google account that they have access to, so Gmail addresses are required here.
Once you’ve chosen someone (and you can only add one person to the list at a time), click Continue and then Send request. The selected contact then receives a message in their inbox, with a link valid for seven days. They can choose to accept or ignore the request, and if they accept the agreement, you will receive a confirmation email. You also receive an email when the request is sent, to protect against recovery contacts being added without your knowledge or consent.
It’s a good idea to choose people you have regular contact with as recovery contacts. These should be people you can call or see face-to-face, so that when they receive an email from Google, you can tell them what’s going on and reassure them that they’re not being phished. Google says these should be people who can respond within 15 minutes if you have any issues with your account.
