All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
- All About Cookies makes money when you click the links on our site to some of the products and offers that we mention. These partnerships do not influence our opinions or recommendations. Read more about how we make money.
- Partners are not able to review or request changes to our content except for compliance reasons.
- We aim to make sure everything on our site is up-to-date and accurate as of the publishing date, but we cannot guarantee we haven't missed something. It's your responsibility to double-check all information before making any decision. If you spot something that looks wrong, please let us know.
Losing access to your Gmail account can cause immediate stress. Whether you forgot your password or someone hacked into your account, it's still possible to recover your Gmail password.
The process is a lot easier with a recovery email or phone number, but there are still ways to gain access to your Google account without them. Keep reading to learn how to recover your Gmail password and the best password management tools to prevent security breaches.
How to contact Google for help recovering your Gmail account
How to set up a recovery email and phone number
How to recover your Google account
Store your Google passwords with a secure password manager
FAQs
Bottom line
How to recover your Gmail password without a recovery email or phone number
If you no longer have access to your recovery email or phone number, it's still possible to recover your Gmail password. But you will need a familiar device that has frequently used your Gmail account in the past.
Steps to recover your Gmail password without a recovery email or phone number
- Go to the Google Account Recovery page.
- Enter your Gmail username.
- Select Try another way.
- Google may automatically send a notification to a familiar device. It will tell you to check the device for the notification. Select Yes, it's me on the familiar device.
- Check your original device for a code, then select the same code on the familiar device.
- Alternatively, you can select Try another way to connect with a different device.
- Once your account is recovered, you should update your password and add a recovery email and phone number.
How to contact Google for help recovering your Gmail account
To contact Google for help, you should start by going to the troubleshooting page. Select your problem and then follow the instructions to recover your Gmail account.
If you still have problems, you can use the chat feature to talk to a Google representative. You can also select to receive a phone call or email.
How to set up a recovery email and phone number
While using familiar devices to recover a Gmail account is possible, it also helps to add a recovery email and phone number. This way, you have more options to recover your account if one method becomes unavailable.
Some other benefits include:
- Google can notify you of suspicious activity on your account.
- It’s easier to prove you are the owner of your account.
- You can block unauthorized users from accessing your account.
How to set up a recovery email on a computer
- Go to your Google Account.
- Choose Personal info from the left-hand menu.
- Under Contact info, select Email.
- Under Recovery email, click on Add recovery email.
- You may be prompted to sign in again.
- Follow the instructions to add a recovery email.
- If you want to add more alternate emails, go back to step 4. Under Alternate emails, select Add alternate email and follow the instructions.
How to set up a recovery phone number on a computer
- Go to your Google Account.
- Choose Personal info from the left-hand menu.
- Under Contact info, select Phone.
- Select Set Up.
- Follow the prompts to add a recovery phone number.
How to recover your Google account
The password you use for your Google account is the same password you use to access Gmail, YouTube, and Google Play. Recovering a Google account follows the same process you followed to recover your Gmail. However, it's a lot easier to do so if you’ve already added a recovery email or phone number.
Steps to recover a Google account
Here are some steps you can take to recover your Google account.
- Forgot your password: Enter your Google username on the Account Recovery page and then select Forgot password? Follow the prompts to confirm you own the account. You can reset the password when prompted.
- Forgot username: It's still possible to recover your account even if you don't remember the email address. Go to the Username Recovery page and enter the recovery email or phone number linked to the Google account. Follow the instructions to confirm you own the account.
- Someone else has locked your account: If an unauthorized person has taken over your account, you still have options to recover it. Go to the Account Recovery page and follow the prompts to regain access.
Once you have recovered your account, you should review account activity and devices. Removing unfamiliar devices and reporting suspicious activity is crucial to securing your account.
How to remove unauthorized individuals
- Go to your Google Account.
- Select Security on the left-hand menu.
- Under Recent security events, select Review security events. Report any activity that wasn't from you.
- Under Your devices, select Manage devices. Remove any devices that you don't recognize.
Store your Google passwords with a secure password manager
Using a secure password manager has many benefits compared to Google's built-in password manager. You can use a password manager to create, store, and manage your passwords across multiple accounts and devices. Plus, many password managers have advanced security features like encryption, secure sharing, and detailed security reports. These tools make remembering your passwords easier and ensure that all your passwords are unique.
Here are a few password managers that can protect your sensitive information:
- NordPass: The creators of the trusted NordVPN also developed NordPass. The password manager offers multiple security features, such as biometric authentication, sharing passwords securely, granting emergency access, and identifying vulnerable passwords.
Get NordPass | Read NordPass Review - Roboform: A budget-friendly password manager, Roboform is easy to set up and use. The core features, like the password generator and autofill, worked flawlessly when we tested the app.
Get Roboform | Read Roboform Review - Keeper: Keeper has all the features you expect in a password manager, including encryption and password generators. However, you can customize your plan with add-ons like secure file storage, data breach alerts, and priority support.
Get Keeper | Read Keeper Review
FAQs
How do I contact Google to recover my account?
To contact Google to recover your account, you can start a chat to talk with a Google representative. However, it could take some time to get a response. It may be faster to go to the troubleshooting page to resolve the issue. Select your problem and then follow the instructions to recover your Gmail account.
How can I recover my Gmail password without my phone number and recovery email?
You can recover your Gmail password without your phone number or recovery email. You'll need a familiar device that has logged into your Gmail account previously. When you try to log in to your Gmail, select the option to verify your account with a known device. Follow the instructions to recover your account.
How do I get back into my old Google account?
Getting back into your old Google account can be difficult if you don't remember your password. To do so, follow the instructions on the Account Recovery page to use a recovery email, phone number, or known device.
How do I recover my Gmail account without a verification code?
The easiest way to recover your Gmail account is with a verification code sent to an email address, phone number, or familiar device. At this point, your best option is to remember a previously correct password. If you're not confident about your old passwords, try entering your best guess.
Bottom line
You can recover a Gmail account with a recovery email address, phone number, or familiar device. Google will send a verification code to one of these three options, which you can then use to recover your Google account. Once you're back in, you can add more alternate email and phone number options for easier recovery in the future.
If forgetting passwords is a common issue for you, you might want to consider a password manager. It's more secure than using Google's built-in password manager, and many password managers even have a Chrome extension for ease of use.
The best password managers can safely store your passwords and help you create unique passwords for all your accounts. This can help keep your data secure.