How to Contact Google Support

Over the last few years, Google's account recovery process has become more dynamic. This means that instead of Google asking a fixed set of questions, both the questions asked and the form the questions take can vary. In addition, Google regularly adds, removes, or modifies the available options. This means the recovery options can vary over time, between accounts or even between recovery attempts. If you have used account recovery in the past, it will probably appear very different now.

Additional sources of information include the Account Help Center and the Account Help Forum, both of which support searching for topics of interest.

Let's Be Realistic

Account recovery is designed and works best for the loss of one thing, like the current password. It relies on responsible users keeping accounts secure and recovery options up-to-date so they are easily able to do a verification if required, or prove ownership of a lost account. The more things that are missing (recovery phone, recovery e-mail, past password) the harder it is to prove ownership. If enough items are missing, don’t work, or have been changed, it becomes impossible to prove ownership and the account is lost.

If you don't have a working recovery e-mail or phone configured, then you probably can't prove ownership and recover the account.

If the account was compromised and the recovery options changed, then you probably can't prove ownership and recover the account. Fortunately, if it's been less than a week, Google may still use the previously configured recover phone number for verification.

If it's been more than a few months since you last signed into the account, then you won't have a recently used device/location/IP-address, which will greatly reduce your ability to prove ownership.

Obviously, the above does not imply that account recovery is usually impossible. The intent is to set realistic expectations about how easy account recovery may be based on what information one has available to prove ownership of an account. Clearly, not all lost accounts are recoverable.

Lost Password Recovery

The recover process can be started in either of two ways:

• Go to the Gmail login page at https://mail.google.com/ and after entering your email address, click the "Forgot your password?" link.

• Go directly to the beginning of the recovery process at https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery

• Once you have provided your email address, you will proceed to the account recovery process. In the past, this was sometimes called an "account recovery form" (ARF), although there is no longer an actual form to fill out.

You will then be presented with a number of step to try and prove ownership of the account. The options available are dictated by what recovery options were previously configured on the account. For example, if no recovery e-mail address was configured, that option will not be shown. If options were configured but not kept up-to-date, they will be shown but may be useless for recovery. In the case of a compromised account, the options may be shown, but if they were modified by the hacker they will be useless for recovery.

If the missing account has two-step verification enabled (https://gmail.googleblog.com/2011/02/advanced-sign-in-security-for-your.html), the process will be a bit different, as shown explain below. This will also be true if the account was compromised and the hacker turned on 2-Step Verification to make it more difficult to recover the account.

Known Device - It can't be emphasized enough how important it is to attempt account recover from a known device. A know device would be a computer or mobile device recently used to sign into the account. For recently, think weeks or perhaps a few months. Longer than that and it will have been "forgotten" (no longer recognized).

Previous Password - The recovery process will often ask for the current or a recent password used on the account. This makes more sense for account recovery cases not due to a lost password. Knowing a password helps, but it probably not sufficient to prove ownership all by itself.

Mobile Device - Account recovery places a high priority on using a mobile device if one is attached to the account. It is considered reasonably secure as it's something physical owned by the user. Mobile verification can take several forms like a tap prompt on the device, or receiving a code on the device that you need to type in.

Of course, if the device is lost/stolen/broken/upgraded it can't be used for verification. It's therefore important to make sure the list of devices used on the account is kept current. In Google account settings, see the Security tab, Your Devices.

Phone Recovery - If a phone number was previously configured on the account, it it very useful to help prove account ownership. It can be used in a variety of ways, for example...

• Entering the full phone number.

• Receiving text message with a verification code.

• Receiving a voice call with a verification code.

Clearly, one has to keep the configure phone up-to-date over time so that if you need it, it actually works.

It should also be noted that if the configured recovery number is changed, Google will retain (remember) the previous number for about a week. This can help a user prove ownership of an account even after it's been compromised and the recovery options changed. See the “Important” note near the top of: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3463280

E-mail Recovery - Like a phone number, having a recovery e-mail address configured on the account is important. It's pretty straightforward where a verification code is e-mailed to the address which you then enter.

In some limited cases the system may send an e-mail verification to the actual lost account. In these case, Google appears to believe you still have access to the account (are still signed into it) on some computer or device.

Security Question - If your account is old enough, and you added one, you may get asked your pre-configured security question. While knowing the answer you set is helpful, it's not enough to prove ownership all by itself. If you have 2-step verification enabled on the account, the process does not appear to ever use the security question.

Support for a security question was dropped some years ago. They can no longer be added to accounts, or edited, only deleted.

Contact E-mail - In some cases the process will ask for a contact e-mail address which it will send a verification code to. Receiving this code does not mean you will be allowed to reset the password. This step is to verify that you have a valid, working e-mail account that you can access. Google may use this contact address to inform you of the results of your account recovery attempt.

Successful Recovery - If you are able to answer enough question to prove ownership, then Google will have you create a new password for the account. This may happen directly at the conclusion of the above process, or you may receive a link in an e-mail. Either way, once you create a new password you will be able to sign into the account.

Failed Recovery - If you are not able to answer enough question to prove ownership of the account, Google will not return it. You might be told directly at the end of the above process. Or you might receive an e-mail at your recovery or contact e-mail address. You are free to try again, and it might even suggest you do, but if you can't answer more of the questions the next time, do not expect a different result.

Lost Account Name

If you clicked the "Find my account" link on the first page you will be directed to a series of steps that will generate a list of accounts matching the information you provide. The steps are:

1. Provide a previously configured e-mail or phone number.

2. Provide the first and last name on the account.

3. Enter a verification code sent to the e-mail/phone from step #1.

If you are successful, you will the receive a list of accounts that match, and you can proceed to sign in. If you also don't know the account password, you will use the above process to attempt to recover it.

Accounts with 2-Step Verification Enabled

Two-step verification adds an extra level of protection to accounts by requiring a second action or code in addition to the password to sign into an account. As such, recovery for an account with 2-step verification enabled is a bit stricter. This can work against the owner if the account has been compromised and 2-step enabled by the hacker.

When 2-step verification is enabled you will see a third screen after providing your account name and password were you need to provide the 2-step verification code via the default method you have configured on the account. If you are unable to provide the 2-step response, the page has a "Try another way" link. At this point you may see one or more of a variety of options:

• A list of other 2-step verification options like the use of backup codes.

• A list of other standard account recovery options.

• The standard account recovery process as described above.

• An option to provide a contact address to be contacted after a multi-day delay.

If insufficient proof of ownership was provided the "Google couldn't verify." message will be displayed similar to the standard recover process above. If sufficient information was provided for Google to investigate further a message to that effect will be displayed.

When Google concludes its investigation, which can take 3-5 business days (a week real-time), you will be notified at the contact address you provided. For information on the delay see: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/9412469

If your request is denied the only option is to repeat the process providing more answers to the questions, or more accurate answers than provided previously. Simply repeating the process with the same answers will not help. You must provide more proof of ownership or Google will not return the account.

Workspace accounts

Workspace (formerly G Suite or Google Apps) accounts are those not ending in @gmail.com. You may be given the option of using the standard account recovery procedure. Otherwise, one must contact the Workspace administrator for the domain who can reset the password allowing you to regain access.