We know that not being able to sign in to your Google Account can be stressful. Our Account Recovery process is designed to  help you recover access to your account, while keeping out anyone who may be trying to access your account without your knowledge.

Google can help you recover access to your account by asking a series of security questions to verify your identity.

Important:

• To recover an account for a child under 13 years: Learn how to reset your child's password.
• To recover a work, school, or group account: For help, contact your administrator.

To get started, head to g.co/recover and enter your Gmail address.

If possible, try the following to make recovery easier:

• Use a computer, phone, or tablet you’ve previously used to sign into your account.
• Use the same browser that you usually do, like Chrome or Safari.
• Be in a location where you usually sign in, like at home or at work.

These steps help confirm that it's really you who’s trying to recover your Google Account.

Tip: If you forgot your username, follow these steps to recover it.

During the Account Recovery process, we’ll ask you a series of security questions that will be personalized to you, based on your account’s level of security and the recovery options that you previously set up.

Don’t worry if you can’t remember exactly, just answer these questions as best as you can. Wrong answers won’t set back any progress you’ve made or kick you out of the Account Recovery process.

Tip: If you’re asked for the last password you remember, enter the most recent one you recall.

• If you don’t remember your last password, use a previous one that you do remember. The more recent it was, the better.
• If you can’t confidently recall any previous passwords, take your best guess.

Depending on your account settings, you may get a security question asking you to confirm a prompt or enter a code. There are a few ways Google uses prompts and codes in the recovery process, including:

• Sending a code to your recovery email or phone number
• Asking for a code from your Authenticator app
• Sending a prompt directly to your device

If you’re asked for a code or prompt you can’t access, you can continue to the next question by selecting Try again or I don’t have my phone.

Important: Google never asks for your password or verification codes over email, phone call, or message.

You may be prompted to enter an email address where you can be contacted about your account recovery request. Enter a contact email you can check now.

If you don’t have another email address, consider creating a new email address for Google to contact you.

Tip: If you expect an email from our team but can’t find it, check your spam or junk folder for an email titled “Your Google support inquiry.”

Reset your password when prompted. Be sure to create a strong password and don’t repeat one you’ve used on your Google account before. Learn more about how to create strong passwords.

Tap Change password.

To reduce the chance of future lockouts, you can take the following security measures:

• Add a recovery phone number and email address to your account.
• If you use 2-Step Verification, create and save backup codes. Learn more about why we recommend using 2-Step Verification.

If you still can’t sign in, learn how to fix issues you may encounter in the account recovery process.