What if I lost access to your Google Account? read this article.
How much damage does it cost your digital life to lose just one password? You need to stay in the position of the lock does not come through?
And if you’re using a free cloud service like Google, no one can get you out of this predicament. When a bank book is lost, a local banker can help you find your location by navigating. But losing a password can be more difficult than you think.
Imagine you have been living your digital life on Google for the last 12 years. You rely on Google Mail and Calendar.
If you rely on Drive for storage and Google Photos for photo archiving, imagine your situation the day you forget your password.
Ron Miller, a journalist at TechCrunch, a world-renowned online media outlet for technology, has a similar problem. Translated excerpt from Miller’s recent experience.
Who are you
About a month ago, I was about to sign in to my Google Account. I keep changing passwords. I just forgot what my new password was.
I clicked ‘Forgot Password’ like other times. I was instructed to set the confirmation code, so I did. I entered the confirmation code in my email again. I was asked a question about security and I answered it.
In doing so, you may feel that you have done too much to prove yourself. I had given not one, not two, but three / three identification bases. But that was not enough for Google.
I was instructed to enter the new password I remembered, which I did. Then I was asked about opening an account for the first time. I didn’t remember that.
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In fact, it was an unnatural security requirement. Because how can anyone remember when they first opened an account? People never remember such details.
I completed all these procedures. In the end, I expected to be asked to set a new password. But I got a notification that I was locked out and had to request Google to log in.
I followed the same procedure. I waited for many days. But in the end, my request was rejected. I don’t know how a person should identify themselves to satisfy Google.
But whatever method I adopted, it was enough. There was nothing to help me.
There was no place to go
I was in a state of stalemate. I had no idea what to do. But I contacted him using my journalistic identity.
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If I weren’t a journalist, I wouldn’t be able to make contact like this. I don’t know what I used to do. I contacted the contact I had. But even from this I could not get fast service.
On December 5, I sent a note to PR Contact. I told him my problem. I collaborated with him on Google News.
He told me that he had solved my problem. He also told me that he would get the information within 24 hours.
But even on December 7, I did not receive any information from Google. Then I contacted him and he suggested a way. But that method was like the process I had already adopted.
Visit https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery
Inter username
Keep clicking ‘Try Another Quiz’ until you know when you created this Google Account.
Click on an approximate date the account was created and click Next.
Click any contact number or email address accessed in the account and complete the verification process.
Even if you don’t know the answer to all these questions, complete the process of answering.
I completed this process again. But Google replied that it could not verify my account again.
After nothing happened for five days, I contacted my PR friend on December 12. He was also very upset because of me. He did his job and I dont reset link has been sent to the address stated in my alternative.
I received an email from Google that evening. I had the option to click on this or no in the option to sign back to my old account. I clicked on Noma and selected a new reset command. But my reset command never came.
Help me if you can, I am helpless
On December 13, I tried to contact Google via Twitter. I posted my case number and asked for help. But no one came.
The same day I opened my second Gmail account. It did not contain my old data. But I opened an account because I needed to.
Two days later, on December 15, I did not receive my reset command and thought I would never receive it again. I had the case number but it didn’t seem to exist.
Another three days passed. On December 18, I contacted the poor PR and he answered me. This time too I had to complete the same process.
But instead of other addresses, I had to use the email of my official TechCrunch Media. I denied that he had opened the case. But he suggested I try again.
Got back and I’m happy
I started the process using my TechCrunch email. As I started, I was instructed to enter a new password and I got my old ID back. I was very happy to get my ID back.
But seeing the situation I went through, I thought, how easy it is to lose access. But what a limited way to get it back.
Once you look at Google’s recovery protocol, what should a person do to distract Google? Google does not have its own customer service. Although I’m paying for her storage.
They do not have a good mechanism to solve such problems. Nor is it a satisfying process. This incident shows how weak our grip is on our digital life.
If you do not have a special contact person and you have lost your access to a job like mine, you will have no choice.
If our lives depend on a password and three factors of identification, these things should be enough evidence to give us access to our lost account.
Now in the coming days I will use password manager and I suggest to change it and do the same to everyone. One day, if you click the Forgot Password, it may be your last day to gain access to your Google Account.
Your digital life is stuck in a small thread called password. If at any moment you forget it, you will be disconnected and your digital existence will end.
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