How do I force Google to ignore my recovery phone number?
November 17, 2023 2:29 PM Subscribe
I can't get into my alternative Google account (even though I have the password and access to the recovery email address) and I feel like Google's completely screwing me on this. Halp!
I've had this email address since 2005, and I use it a lot for personal / job search stuff, so I'd really prefer not to lose it. It forwards to my main GMail account so I haven't had to log in for a long time, but now Google is going to start deleting inactive accounts so it's going to be on the chopping block.
Here are the facts:
Is there any way at all to force Google to use email instead? Or get in touch with a human being who could easily fix this?
I've had this email address since 2005, and I use it a lot for personal / job search stuff, so I'd really prefer not to lose it. It forwards to my main GMail account so I haven't had to log in for a long time, but now Google is going to start deleting inactive accounts so it's going to be on the chopping block.
Here are the facts:
- I do have the account password.
- I do have access to the recovery email. (This is not a GMail address.)
- I do not have access to the recovery phone number. (Why? Because it was my Google Voice number, and I missed the notice that Google was about to delete that for inactivity!)
- I do not have a recovery code. As far as I know I did not enable two-factor auth on this account, although maybe I did.
- I do not have this account linked with my main account -- it honestly never occured to me, since this used to not be a feature. It does forward to my main account.
- By removing my Google Voice account for inactivity and only sending one notice about it
- By not allowing me to recover with my email address
- By not correlating their services and recognizing that the recovery phone number is now defunct
- By threatening to remove my unattended-but-still-used account for inactivity
- By not actually having customer service, who could easily clear all this up
Is there any way at all to force Google to use email instead? Or get in touch with a human being who could easily fix this?
Response by poster: I'm now getting this lovely email from Google: "The password to your linked Google Account was found in a non‑Google data breach." Not sure if the "non-Google data breach" is my own attempts to get in, or if they're waiting until now to tell me.
posted by neckro23 at 2:49 PM on November 17, 2023
posted by neckro23 at 2:49 PM on November 17, 2023
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posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:41 PM on November 17, 2023