Gmail Password Recovery Options
With close to 2 billion users, Gmail is the most popular email platform worldwide. Besides sending and receiving emails, we use our Gmail address to sign up for tons of different services. Outside services tied to Google like YouTube, Calendars, Docs and Drive, our Gmail email address is usually our key to accessing many other platforms. It could be on social media sites such as Facebook or TikTok, streaming services like Netflix or HBO Max, financial platforms like PayPal or Skrill, and even gaming sites to play casino online games.
Indeed, the list of places where we use that one Gmail address is endless. It’s no wonder why we go into panic mode when we, for some reason, forget the account password. Many aspects of our daily lives, from work to play and even finance, are hinged on accessing our Gmail accounts. And so, losing your password could mean being locked out of many vital elements of our day-to-day activities. So, what do you do when you forget your password? There’s no need to panic. Spare a few minutes to learn how you’ll handle such a situation.
The Basics: Forgot Password Link
During the creation process for your Gmail account, there are some critical pieces of information that you are generally required to provide. These are the recovery email or your phone number. If you have any of these on record, getting back your Gmail password should be super easy.
Just go to the Sign-in page of Google, type in your email address and when you arrive at the password stage, click the forgot password link. Google will automatically send a verification code to either your backup email address or the phone number you provided. After you enter that verification code, you will then be able to create a new password to access your account. Create a strong yet easy-to-remember password so that you are not subjected to this process again.
What if the Verification Codes Fail?
Sometimes, the verification code way may not cut it for you when trying to recover the password you have lost. In that case, you’ll need to follow a series of steps to recover your Google or Gmail account. During this stage, Google will ask you a series of questions to ascertain that you are the account owner. This process is thorough and might feel rather tedious, but you must be patient. Remember, as you may be trying to access your account, another person with ill intentions may also be trying to hack into your account through this same process. It all comes down to your security, which Gmail wants to guarantee.
Of course, the series of questions you’ll be asked will be connected to your account. Try your very best to answer all these questions without skipping any. If you are unsure of the answer to the question, pick your best guess because these are based on the information you previously submitted – it, therefore, shouldn’t be that difficult to get right.
To make things easier, ensure that you use the device you usually use to access your account. If possible, you should also use the same browser you typically use, and you can even try being in the location where you usually are when logging in to your account. You may be asked to type in the last password you remember using. And if you sincerely can’t remember the previous passwords you used, try as much as possible to give out your best guess.
Additionally, you may also be asked when you created your Gmail account. Of course, remembering a specific date may be impossible: in that case, try and remember an approximate date when you created the account. Finally, you may also be asked the reason you can’t access your account. Here, provides a reason that will make sense. For instance, you could indicate that you had recently changed your password and have now forgotten it.
Still Can’t Sign In?
Forgetting your password isn’t the only reason you may be locked out of your Gmail account. It may be down to a variety of other reasons, including and not limited to:
- Forgetting your username or the email address you used to sign in;
- Inability to reset your password with a code text;
- Not being able to sign in from a third-party service;
- Having trouble with the 2-step verification;
- Knowing your username and password but still can’t sign in due to a technical issue;
- The possibility that someone else is using your Gmail account.
All these problems can be sorted by visiting the Google help page, where you will be promptly advised on the next steps to take.
A simple password loss can result in a nightmarish scenario for you because of how much you rely on your Gmail email address. It may even be more frustrating since there is no direct contact person from Google you can talk to for assistance. There’s, however, no need to panic. If you follow the steps outlined in this post, you will be good to go. However, in the extreme situation of failing to recover your password, you may be forced to cut your losses and consider creating a replacement Google account.