Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Help – Locked out of 10 years Gmail account

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 261 posts

Re: Ask HN: Help – Locked out of 10 years Gmail account

#11

Post by schiffern »

Jabbles wrote: post #3

Did you follow the steps at https://support.google.com/accounts/troubleshooter/2402620 ?

Trying this now.

Edit: the closest solution is to try account recovery, which is what I was doing. :(

I don't want to "spam" the recovery form, since I suspect that will only make it worse.

Edit2: trying Gmail app and Google Authenticator now, to see if that makes a difference. Will update with progress.

Edit3: no dice. Gmail app just loops me to a message saying "Google couldn't verify that this account belongs to you." Clicking on Verify account just loops me back to the login. It doesn't even ask for my old password like before.

I feel sick to my stomach...

Re: Ask HN: Help – Locked out of 10 years Gmail account

#12

Post by schiffern »

meindnoch wrote: post #2

I’ll forward this to my friends at Google if you promise that you stop using Google products.

Anything!

Please let them know my recovery account (another gmail, FirstnameLastname) is also locked.

Edit: I'm back in to my recovery account!! Just enabled 2FA to avoid getting locked out again.

My main account is still locked, but it let me verify via my old password, new password, and recovery email code. The message says that they still need to verify more, but I should look for an email to login within 48 hours.

Fingers crossed!

Re: Ask HN: Help – Locked out of 10 years Gmail account

#13

Post by 9991 »

lrei wrote: post #5

Yikes! good luck, hope it works out. This is scary. Gmail is still, by far, the best email app. Something like this could happen to me and, I suspect, a lot of other people.

The best email app wouldn't ban you for an emoticon in Youtube chat or sending a medical photo to your doctor.

Re: Ask HN: Help – Locked out of 10 years Gmail account

#14

Post by nonrandomstring »

> because (like a fool)

You are no fool. No doubt you are way above average intelligence. This so-called "security" ecosystem of Big-Tech is a dumpster fire of rotting clinical waste. Hope it doesn't spoil your holiday break - and for goodness sake make a New Year Resolution - to quit this madness forever.

Re: Ask HN: Help – Locked out of 10 years Gmail account

#15

Post by nix23 »

lrei wrote: post #5

Yikes! good luck, hope it works out. This is scary. Gmail is still, by far, the best email app. Something like this could happen to me and, I suspect, a lot of other people.

>Gmail is still, by far, the best email app

True, no mails no problems, it's a feature not a bug.

Re: Ask HN: Help – Locked out of 10 years Gmail account

#17

Post by user3939382 »

I made the jump to Fastmail and I'm very happy with it. Web interface is at least as good as Gmail's. Thunderbird keeps a local copy of my emails, I control the email domain. I can create backups. The second you get back in you gotta get off this platform.

Re: Ask HN: Help – Locked out of 10 years Gmail account

#18

Post by schiffern »

Alex3917 wrote: post #10

The longer it's been since anyone has logged in, the more confidence Google will have that it's really you trying to log in. In all likelihood you'll be able to get back in within a couple weeks.

I hope you're right! If that doesn't work, it's all gone. It's not like I can "just" get to the front page again.
Post reply on HN