You may have heard of Google recovery email addresses, or even have one for your accounts. But do you know how exactly they work? How exactly does Google integrate another email address into your account’s security?
We’ve explored what Google recovery email addresses are here and delved into everything you can do with it.
What Is Your Google Account Recovery Email Address?
A recovery email is a non-compulsory email address you add to your Google account as a means of recovering the Google account in question should you ever lose access.
This recovery email address doesn’t have to be another Gmail account. For example, you can use an Outlook account as a recovery email address for your Google account.
Why Would You Need a Google Account Recovery Email Address?
While a recovery email isn’t compulsory, there are a few important reasons you should add one to your Google account:
1. Recover a Lost Account
If you ever forget the password to your Google account, you can use a recovery email address to gain access to it again. Just select Forgot password, enter the last password you remember, and type in your recovery email into the box.
After typing in the email, you’ll get a verification code in your recovery email inbox, which you can use to regain access.
You might not see email recovery as your first option when you select Forgot password; select Try another way until you see the option for a recovery email. If you need more help, we’ve covered more about recovering your locked Google account in a dedicated guide.
You can use a recovery account to keep track of your Google account’s security. When it detects new log-in attempts, Google will send notifications to your recovery email. It will also send suspicious activity notifications to your recovery email so that you can act on it quickly.
That’s why we recommend you use an email address you frequently use for your recovery email. That way, you can keep up with notifications and any suspicious activity—especially if the Google account isn’t one you frequently use.
How Do You Assign or Change a Recovery Email Address?
Now that you know all you need about recovery email addresses, you might want to add or change one if you already have one. You can do this on a computer using the web:
Sign in to your Google account on your browser. Click Security on the left pane. Scroll down to the How you sign in to Google segment. Select Recovery email and enter your recovery email in the input box.
Type in the email address you want to use for recovery and choose Next. Google will send a verification code to the email. Type it into the input box.
You’ll get a notification that your email address has been verified.
You can change this on Android from Settings > Google > Manage your Google Account > Security. Check the Way we can verify you section and select Recovery email.
Or, using an iPhone, you can do this from the Gmail app. Tap your profile picture and select Manage your Google Account. Go to Security and scroll down to Recovery email.
Secure Your Google Account With a Recovery Email
A recovery email address might be unappealing if you think it’s an additional way for someone to access your account. If you’re afraid that your recovery email address isn’t that secure, you should use another Google account with a strong password.
Other than that, recovery emails are a great way to monitor the security of your Google account and recover it should you run into any issues logging in.
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