Making your account secure is necessary. All apps and services come with a certain level of authentication which when set can protect the users and enable quick recovery. Google provides a number of recovery and 2-step authentication options for its users. In this article, we will do a deep dive into how to reset Google password and what recovery options are available to users.
Reset Google Password from Browser
To reset your Google account password while you are logged in -> From Browser
- From Gmail, click account avatar from the top right and select Manage your Google Account
- OR navigate to myaccount.google.com
- Select Security
- From Signing in to Google section – select Password
- Google will prompt you the enter your account password
- After success, you will be presented with a password reset screen. Enter a strong password and confirm it.
- Click Change Password and you have successfully reset Google password.
Reset Google Password Using Account Recovery
The first time you create a Google or Gmail account, it prompts you to set up Account Recovery. If you skipped it, you can always go into your Google account and set up account recovery options. This is crucial given privacy concerns and is a must-have for any Google account user.
You can access Account recovery options by going to Manage your Google Account -> Security. To start account recovery for your Google account, navigate to https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery.
Let’s look further at all of the recovery options that can be enabled for every Google account.
Recovery phone
You can have one recovery phone setup as a quick account recovery option. A recovery phone is also used to reach users in case Google detects unusual activity on the account or in case they get locked out of the account.
Recovery Email
Similar to phone, you can only have one recovery email address defined within your Google account. Recovery email usage has the same purpose but is just an extra option on top of the recovery phone.
2-Step Verification For Google Accounts
To access 2-step verification methods from your account (assuming you are logged into Gmail), navigate to Manage your Google Account -> Security.
From Signing in to Google select 2-step verification. If you have enabled it already you will see it marked as On with a blue check. Click on it and Google will ask you to enter your password again.
Security Key
The security key is the default and first ‘second step’ available for the 2-Step verification method. You can always modify and change it from default. You can have 2 types of security keys, a physical key or use compatible phone’s built-in key.
For example, I use my Phone as a security key which is backed by Titan Security. You can also buy a physical Titan Security Key. You can add multiple security keys as needed.
Google sign-in prompt
The second 2-Step verification method is Google prompt. To receive a prompt, sign in to your Google account on your phone. How does this work? After you log in on a new device, Google will send a prompt to the phone. Tap to confirm and you will be signed in. Keep in mind, you will get a prompt on every phone you are signed in to.
Voice or text message
You can receive sign-in codes at the numbers you define here. You can also have additional numbers defined. After adding a new phone number, Google will send a message to verify the account.
Backup codes
If you lose your phone or in case you can’t get codes by text, call or other options – you can use backup codes to sign in to your Google account. This will be an easy way to reset Google password in case you have lost access to all. You can generate 10 backup codes and once you use a backup code, that code becomes inactive. To use backup codes, 2-step verification must be enabled on your phone.
To create or find backup codes, Navigate to Google Account -> Security -> 2-Step Verification (under “Signing in to Google”). Click Continue under Backup codes. You will be prompted to enter your Google password again. From this screen, you can get backup codes, create a new set of codes and inactivate old ones, delete your back codes, and download and print them. If you create a new set of codes, the old one’s automatically become inactive.
For the future, to sign in or reset Google password – select Try another way and click to Enter one of your 8-digit backup codes. Use one of the codes and mark it as used as it will be inactive.
Authenticator App
As a Google user, you can add more second steps to secure your account. The authenticator app is one great option as it also works in case your device is offline. This app allows users to get verification codes from the authentication app instead of a text message or voice message. To use this, you need to download Google Authenticator which is available for Android and iOS.
To connect an auth app to your Google account – Navigate to Google Account -> Security -> 2-Step Verification (under “Signing in to Google”). Select Authenticator App and click Set up authenticator. A new screen will present a QR code to scan. Download the Auth app (Android and iOS) and scan the QR code. Click Next and enter the 6-digit code visible in the app and Verify. You are all set to use the app now. Every time you sign in to a new device, you can use the Authenticator app as a verification option. T
If you have most of these 2-Step verification methods enabled for your account, account recovery is an easy process and you would be able to reset Google password. Navigate to the Gmail login screen and click Forgot password? You will be presented with a few default second options to choose from. To see more options (dependent on how you set them up in Google Account 2-step verification) – click Try another way to sign in.
You will be presented with more options (example attached above). Choose a way to sign in and you should be able to recover and reset Google password. 😎
Also, Google no longer supports security questions and recommends using a recovery phone or email address to keep the account secure. In case you were using a question previously, you can still view or delete it from Account settings.
In conclusion, we feel it’s mandatory for users to set up 2-step verification for all of their accounts. But when it comes to Google, it must have. The reason is, the same account is being used for multiple apps and you want to ensure your account is secure. Make sure to have most authentication options enabled so that recovery is easier and the account stays safe.
Leave a Reply