So in theory if someone was to ever accidentally or intentionally reset the location info for where all gmail accounts have logged in from, then effectively everyone would be unable to access their gmail account?
Ask HN: Gmail account security
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Re: Ask HN: Gmail account security
#12Just out of curiosity, do you have two-factor authentication set up? Or the Gmail app on a mobile device? Or do you really just have the recovery account?
Re: Ask HN: Gmail account security
#13Previously on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29801850
Re: Ask HN: Gmail account security
#14From 3 days ago: https://merveilles.town/@akkartik/107656797631193281
One less risk to worry about.
Re: Ask HN: Gmail account security
#15I always use the 2FA and whatever happens it seems to allow me back in. I would think this happens with a phone number too.
Re: Ask HN: Gmail account security
#16That doesn't help OP now, but I found it helpful to enable 2FA with Google Authenticator, and keep emergency backup codes in a safe place. It's slightly more hassle, but there are less 'soft AI' barriers between you and your successful login.
I'd also suggest not to rely on a phone number as 2nd factor, it's not that super safe.
Re: Ask HN: Gmail account security
#17I'm having a hard time getting my head wrapped around the idea of relying on Gmail (or any other online identity provider) without enabling 2-factor authentication. The best way to avoid this kind of "AI hell" is just to take control of your own account security and set up some additional factors.
Re: Ask HN: Gmail account security
#18Oh god, have you had the M.C. Escher-esque experience of trying to sign in to an email account, and it hits you with a two-factor-auth prompt that sent the code to another email address?
Imagine the insanity if the email account that received the code in turn asks for a code sent a code to the first one.
Re: Ask HN: Gmail account security
#19I had this exact same problem... I was logging in on the same IP address I've used for 10 years
I only managed to solve it by digging out an old phone that was still signed into the Google account... if I had factory reset that then I suspect I would have lost it forever
this experience is one of the many reasons I've dumped Google wherever possible
Re: Ask HN: Gmail account security
#20I'm having a hard time getting my head wrapped around the idea of relying on Gmail (or any other online identity provider) without enabling 2-factor authentication. The best way to avoid this kind of "AI hell" is just to take control of your own account security and set up some additional factors.
Google will still lock you out with 2fa. It’s pretty bad