Set up recovery options

To make sure that you can get back into your Google Account if you ever can't sign in, add recovery information.

Important: If you use an account through your work, school or other groups, these steps may not work. Ask your administrator for help.

How recovery info helps you

Recovery info helps you get back in to your account if:

You forget your password
Someone else uses your account
You're locked out of your account for another reason

Tip: If you change your recovery info or other authentication factors, Google may send codes to your previous info for seven days. If someone starts to use your account without your permission, this allows you to quickly secure your account.

Add or remove recovery contacts

Add a recovery contact

Important: Make sure that you choose a recovery contact who you know well and trust, like a family member or a close friend.

Open your Google Account.
Tap Security and sign-in.
In the 'How you sign in to Google' section, tap Recovery contacts.
- You may need to sign in.
Tap Add recovery contact.
Enter an email address.
- You'll get a prompt that a request has been emailed to your recovery contact.
- Your recovery contact gets your name, email address and profile photo.
Tap Send request.

Tip: The request only lasts for seven days. After that, you'll either need to submit another request or choose another recovery contact.

Add recovery contact

Remove a recovery contact

Open your Google Account.
Tap Security and sign-in.
In the 'How you sign in to Google' section, tap Recovery contacts.
- You may need to sign in.
Tap Bin .
To delete a contact, tap Confirm.

Add or change a recovery phone number

When you add or change your recovery phone number, it may take up to seven days for those changes to take effect. If someone tries to use your account without your permission, this allows you to quickly secure your account.

If you have a trusted passkey or security key, you may be able to speed up the process for Google to trust your new recovery phone number. Learn how to speed up this process.

On your Android phone or tablet, open your device's Settings app Google Manage your Google Account.
Tap Security and sign-in.
Under 'How you sign in to Google', tap Recovery phone number. You might need to sign in.
From here, you can:
- Add a recovery phone number.
- Change your recovery phone number: Next to your number, tap Edit .
- Delete your recovery phone number: Next to your number, tap Delete .
Follow the steps on the screen.

Add recovery phone number

Tip: If you delete your recovery phone number, it may still be used for other Google services. To manage your phone numbers, go to your account.

Which number to use

Use a mobile phone that:

Gets text messages
Belongs only to you
You use regularly and keep with you

Add or change a recovery email address

On your Android phone or tablet, open your device's Settings app Google Manage your Google Account.
Tap Security and sign-in.
Under 'How you sign in to Google', tap Recovery email. You might need to sign in.
From here, you can:
- Add a recovery email.
- Change or delete your recovery email.
Follow the steps on the screen.

Change recovery email

Which email to use

Choose an email address that:

You use regularly
Is different from the one that you use to sign in to your Google Account

How recovery info is used

Recovery info helps you get back into your account and helps keep your account secure.

Recovery contact

You can use your recovery contact to help you get into your account if you forget your password or can't sign in for another reason. They don't get your security alerts and notifications.

Tip: A recovery contact request is valid for seven days. Once a recovery contact accepts your invite, there's a seven-day period before you can use them for account recovery.

Recovery phone number

Here are some ways that your recovery phone number can be used:

To send you a code to get into your account if you’re ever locked out
To block someone from using your account without your permission
To make it easier for you to prove that an account is yours
To tell you if there’s suspicious activity on your account

If your recovery phone number is the same as another phone number that you’ve added to your account, it might be used for other purposes. Find out more about how phone numbers are used.

Recovery email address

Here are some ways that your recovery email address can be used:

To confirm your username after you create an email address
To help you get into your account if you forget your password or can't sign in for another reason
To let you know if you're about to run out of storage space
To tell you if there’s suspicious activity on your account

Fix problems

Go to the account recovery page, and answer the questions as best you can. These tips can help.

Use the account recovery page if:

You forgot your password.
Someone changed your password.
Someone deleted your account.
You can’t sign in for another reason.

Tip: To make sure that you’re trying to sign in to the right account, try recovering your username.

Can't change recovery info

If there’s something different about how you’re signing in, you might not have the option to change your recovery info. You can try again:

From a device that you normally use to sign in.
From a location where you normally sign in.
The following week from the device that you’re currently using.