Locked out

mister · 2 Apr 2025, 01:50 AM

Gmail now asks me for a phone number to access my account. That's after verifying my alternate email account. Anyone else?

n5bb · 2 Apr 2025, 02:18 AM

This has been a security feature randomly used for several years by Google. New accounts have required a phone number for initial setup. If you used a friend’s phone you will need to use it for verification. See:
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/114129?hl=en

Bill

mister · 2 Apr 2025, 03:43 AM

They are using this tactic on an account that I've had for years. I didn't need a phone number when I signed up. A big problem now.

TenFour · 2 Apr 2025, 05:09 AM

You can't use Gmail safely without every form of recovery, including a phone number you can access. Take a look at this thread: https://support.google.com/accounts/...to-phone?hl=en

n5bb · 2 Apr 2025, 06:40 AM

You should be able to use your Google Backup Codes. These are ten 8-digit codes you hopefully saved in the past when securing your account. I saved mine 11 years ago and they haven’t changed. You can view your Backup Codes using the Google Authenticator app on your mobile device as follows:

Log into the Google Authenticator app on your mobile device. On my iOS device the icon is a multicolored stick star shape.
Click the icon in the upper right corner. On my device it shows my face.
Select Manage your Google Account
Select the Security tab at the top
This will show your security settings, such as passkeys, password, Google prompt on other devices, 2-step verification phones, recovery phone, recovery email, security question, and Backup Codes.
10 Backup Codes are initially created. You can use each one only once, reducing your available codes. You can print your codes, download them, or erase them (which creates 10 new codes)

You will be greatly inconvenienced if you don’t have the Google Authenticator installed and active for your Gmail account unless you have saved your Backup Codes.

Bill

TenFour · 2 Apr 2025, 06:48 AM

Quote:

You should be able to use your Google Backup Codes. These are ten 8-digit codes you hopefully saved in the past when securing your account.

You would think so! But, I once almost got locked out because Google in all its wisdom would not offer me any option other than receiving a security code to my phone number which I had abandoned and lost control of. And, I had all the recovery options available at the time set up: authenticator, new phone number, email, and backup codes. But, Google wouldn't give me the option to use any of them. Luckily, I had logged into my account previously at work and Google let me log back in from that computer and location.

n5bb · 2 Apr 2025, 06:50 AM

I don’t use Gmail for my primary email because I don?t trust Google. I trust Fastmail far more than Gmail.

Bill

TenFour · 2 Apr 2025, 06:55 AM

As I wrote previously, if you use Gmail for anything important you need to set up all the recovery options and keep them up to date. Otherwise, they have been extremely reliable for me for the past 19 years!

Bamb0 · 2 Apr 2025, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mister

They are using this tactic on an account that I've had for years. I didn't need a phone number when I signed up. A big problem now.

Give it a couple days,maybe they will unflag your acct and let you in again...

mister · 3 Apr 2025, 03:24 AM

I 've been getting captchas, email verification and phone demands for a few days I have other accounts that don't give me grief like this.

Bamb0 · 3 Apr 2025, 05:30 AM

They might be trying to force data out of you!! (If there is no way around it)

Have you tried to email support?

mister · 3 Apr 2025, 05:38 AM

No alternate methods they are demanding a text. Finally got the code.

TenFour · 3 Apr 2025, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Have you tried to email support?

There is no email or other direct support for ordinary Gmail accounts. Only online help documentation and forums. BEWARE of anyone contacting you directly and offering to retrieve your account.

mister · 3 Apr 2025, 08:19 AM

They are sending captchas on ALL my searches now as well. Duckduckgo here I come.

2 Apr 2025, 01:50 AM	#1
mister Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 405	Locked out Gmail now asks me for a phone number to access my account. That's after verifying my alternate email account. Anyone else?

2 Apr 2025, 06:40 AM	#5
n5bb Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: May 2004 Location: Irving, Texas Posts: 9,042	You should be able to use your Google Backup Codes. These are ten 8-digit codes you hopefully saved in the past when securing your account. I saved mine 11 years ago and they haven’t changed. You can view your Backup Codes using the Google Authenticator app on your mobile device as follows: Log into the Google Authenticator app on your mobile device. On my iOS device the icon is a multicolored stick star shape. Click the icon in the upper right corner. On my device it shows my face. Select Manage your Google Account Select the Security tab at the top This will show your security settings, such as passkeys, password, Google prompt on other devices, 2-step verification phones, recovery phone, recovery email, security question, and Backup Codes. 10 Backup Codes are initially created. You can use each one only once, reducing your available codes. You can print your codes, download them, or erase them (which creates 10 new codes) You will be greatly inconvenienced if you don’t have the Google Authenticator installed and active for your Gmail account unless you have saved your Backup Codes. Bill

3 Apr 2025, 05:38 AM	#12
mister Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 405	No alternate methods they are demanding a text. Finally got the code. Last edited by mister : 3 Apr 2025 at 06:01 AM.

2 Apr 2025, 02:18 AM	#2
n5bb Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: May 2004 Location: Irving, Texas Posts: 9,042	This has been a security feature randomly used for several years by Google. New accounts have required a phone number for initial setup. If you used a friend’s phone you will need to use it for verification. See: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/114129?hl=en Bill

2 Apr 2025, 03:43 AM	#3
mister Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 405	They are using this tactic on an account that I've had for years. I didn't need a phone number when I signed up. A big problem now.

2 Apr 2025, 05:09 AM	#4
TenFour Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: USA Posts: 1,953	You can't use Gmail safely without every form of recovery, including a phone number you can access. Take a look at this thread: https://support.google.com/accounts/...to-phone?hl=en

2 Apr 2025, 06:50 AM	#7
n5bb Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: May 2004 Location: Irving, Texas Posts: 9,042	I don’t use Gmail for my primary email because I don?t trust Google. I trust Fastmail far more than Gmail. Bill

2 Apr 2025, 06:55 AM	#8
TenFour Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: USA Posts: 1,953	As I wrote previously, if you use Gmail for anything important you need to set up all the recovery options and keep them up to date. Otherwise, they have been extremely reliable for me for the past 19 years!

3 Apr 2025, 03:24 AM	#10
mister Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 405	I 've been getting captchas, email verification and phone demands for a few days I have other accounts that don't give me grief like this.

3 Apr 2025, 05:30 AM	#11
Bamb0 The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 2,086	They might be trying to force data out of you!! (If there is no way around it) Have you tried to email support?

3 Apr 2025, 08:19 AM	#14
mister Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 405	They are sending captchas on ALL my searches now as well. Duckduckgo here I come.