Posted 14 December 2021

How to access gmail & Google - Had my phone stolen :-(

Had my phone stolen. Just got the replacement SIM and its in an old phone

I cant remember my password.....

Trying to log in. Says send code to phone but it then says failed straight away on the google page.
I cannot remember the 8 digit code (saved on my phone!) The recovery email is set to my gmail and the authenticator was on my stolen phone! Absolute nightmare :-(

Googled for ages to find a contact number but getting no where.
I'm stuffed as everything is backed up to google but i can't even access the play store cos i don't know my log in!

Any help much appreciated
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  1. ronniejb's avatar
    Not helpful for now but maybe if someone is reading this and wonders how to avoid being in the same position you can set a recovery email or phone number support.google.com/acc…roi
  2. Mail's avatar
    Did you put your phone number on your account?

    If you've activated 2FA on your account using Authenticator, you could request it to be sent to your text messages (if above is the case)

    gmail.com

    type in your email address
    when it asks for password click "forgot password"
    should ask for your authenticator passcode
    should have option "try another way"

    send text to your phone number? (edited)
  3. Mail's avatar
    steevieboy4u14/12/2021 15:05

    After some extended trying and even more frantic pulling my hair out. I …After some extended trying and even more frantic pulling my hair out. I tried turning on an old Android tablet my kids use and when i tried to log in again that popped up with a notification asking if it was me trying to log in. I clicked yes then i got the option to send an code to a different email....... So back in again. What a relief. As if losing my phone and everything on te SD card wasnt a big enough worry.Thanks for all the help


    Glad you got it back!

    Next step is to change your password and then remove all of your devices. Here's a howto.

    Hope you get your original phone back.
  4. steevieboy4u's avatar
    Author
    After some extended trying and even more frantic pulling my hair out. I tried turning on an old Android tablet my kids use and when i tried to log in again that popped up with a notification asking if it was me trying to log in. I clicked yes then i got the option to send an code to a different email....... So back in again. What a relief. As if losing my phone and everything on te SD card wasnt a big enough worry.

    Thanks for all the help
  5. steevieboy4u's avatar
    Author
    Mail14/12/2021 15:09

    Glad you got it back! Next step is to change your password and then remove …Glad you got it back! Next step is to change your password and then remove all of your devices. Here's a howto.Hope you get your original phone back.


    Cheers mate. Won't be getting my phone back. 5 mins after i realised i left it my mate tried calling it and it had been turned off (almost fully charged so wasnt flat battery) Even offered the taxi place a £100 thankyou if was handed in......Even just called them again now so i've spoken to them 4 times now and nothing. There was £400 worth of vouchers (tesco from my bing rewards, Aldi, Asda) and 9 months worth of cinema tickets all screenshots and unprotected. Total nightmare. I'd backed everything up from my phone to the sd card thinking if the phone breaks everything is there never even entered my head i'd ever lose my phone. Its literally got my life on it. Over 6000 photos and videos etc, insurance docs! Makes me feel sick just thinking about what 'they've' got access to
  6. wayners's avatar
    When logged in on chrome browser. Type in Google search. Security check. This should bring up links to Google security account and follow through and update information.
    Across all the forums people are getting caught out with this now and posting help posts (edited)
  7. aLV426's avatar
    steevieboy4u14/12/2021 15:57

    Cheers mate. Won't be getting my phone back. 5 mins after i realised i …Cheers mate. Won't be getting my phone back. 5 mins after i realised i left it my mate tried calling it and it had been turned off (almost fully charged so wasnt flat battery) Even offered the taxi place a £100 thankyou if was handed in......Even just called them again now so i've spoken to them 4 times now and nothing. There was £400 worth of vouchers (tesco from my bing rewards, Aldi, Asda) and 9 months worth of cinema tickets all screenshots and unprotected. Total nightmare. I'd backed everything up from my phone to the sd card thinking if the phone breaks everything is there never even entered my head i'd ever lose my phone. Its literally got my life on it. Over 6000 photos and videos etc, insurance docs! Makes me feel sick just thinking about what 'they've' got access to


    Use this an expensive lesson and learn from it - ensure you backup in future. Be positive - you now know what challenges you face and what data you loose should your future handset be lost/stolen.
  8. aLV426's avatar
    mutley114/12/2021 17:17

    i have my phone locked and set up so that i can wipe the phone clean …i have my phone locked and set up so that i can wipe the phone clean remotely if it is stolen. never had to do this but wonder if it does work and would wipe absolutely everything from the phone, including the gallery and the files folders.


    It is definitely something that can be done - I have done it on Windows phones, BlackBerry & Android devices. I have only remotely locked Apple devices (and recovered them later). To a casual thief, provided the device is pin locked it will render the device useless. If they cannot bypass the pin and they want to use the device they will be forced to perform a factory reset, which will remove the pin and by design will also delete all the user data off the phone. They will then be able to use the phone. Data recovery at this point is still possible, however it takes specialist software, hardware and expert knowledge to find anything usable. If it's an Android device with FRP enabled then usually you can't get past the Wifi configuration screen. Depending on the device it may not be able to make or receive calls, however it can be configured to allow internet access.
  9. steevieboy4u's avatar
    Author
    Bambibambo15/12/2021 08:08

    How can the recovery email for your gmail be your gmail account?


    Exactly? Crazy! Its now been changed to 2 different others though
  10. steevieboy4u's avatar
    Author
    Sure the phone number is on my account but when i try to

    Do you have your phone?
    Google will send a notification to your phone to verify that it's you......

    Straight away comes up with this messge:

    Something went wrong
    The sign-in notification couldn’t reach your phone. Resend to try again.


    Then all the other options i cannot use and just going round in circles and its IMPOSSIBLE to speak to anyone. Even tried google adwords and to try and get them to transfer but got no where :-(
  11. Ashbeck's avatar
    steevieboy4u14/12/2021 14:47

    Sure the phone number is on my account but when i try toDo you have your …Sure the phone number is on my account but when i try toDo you have your phone?Google will send a notification to your phone to verify that it's you......Straight away comes up with this messge:Something went wrongThe sign-in notification couldn’t reach your phone. Resend to try again.Then all the other options i cannot use and just going round in circles and its IMPOSSIBLE to speak to anyone. Even tried google adwords and to try and get them to transfer but got no where :-(


    Hi, I had this happen recently albeit I stupidly wiped my phone by accident (long story!).

    There should be an option to get the code via SMS which covers the first stage. Then after a lot of despair and anguish (another long story) I saw there's another way to reset the 2sv whereby an email is sent to another email address you specify with a code, you input the code from the email on the screen and after 48 hrs you get the reset link. I can't remember the exact clicks required but it is there. This is all on the basis you're able to input the initial code sent via SMS.

    The notification won't work as it's linked to the handset or something along those lines.

    Ps. I have Google One and got through to them on chat but they couldn't do anything so not point reaching out to them. (edited)
  12. mutley1's avatar
    steevieboy4u14/12/2021 15:57

    Cheers mate. Won't be getting my phone back. 5 mins after i realised i …Cheers mate. Won't be getting my phone back. 5 mins after i realised i left it my mate tried calling it and it had been turned off (almost fully charged so wasnt flat battery) Even offered the taxi place a £100 thankyou if was handed in......Even just called them again now so i've spoken to them 4 times now and nothing. There was £400 worth of vouchers (tesco from my bing rewards, Aldi, Asda) and 9 months worth of cinema tickets all screenshots and unprotected. Total nightmare. I'd backed everything up from my phone to the sd card thinking if the phone breaks everything is there never even entered my head i'd ever lose my phone. Its literally got my life on it. Over 6000 photos and videos etc, insurance docs! Makes me feel sick just thinking about what 'they've' got access to


    i have my phone locked and set up so that i can wipe the phone clean remotely if it is stolen. never had to do this but wonder if it does work and would wipe absolutely everything from the phone, including the gallery and the files folders.
  13. steevieboy4u's avatar
    Author
    aLV42614/12/2021 17:13

    Use this an expensive lesson and learn from it - ensure you backup in …Use this an expensive lesson and learn from it - ensure you backup in future. Be positive - you now know what challenges you face and what data you loose should your future handset be lost/stolen.


    Tell me about it
    Will never make this mistake ever again. Learnt today the best way forward with android is to encrypt both phone and SD card.

    mutley114/12/2021 17:17

    i have my phone locked and set up so that i can wipe the phone clean …i have my phone locked and set up so that i can wipe the phone clean remotely if it is stolen. never had to do this but wonder if it does work and would wipe absolutely everything from the phone, including the gallery and the files folders.


    Not sure this would have worked as my phone was turned off within 5 minutes of it going missing. (edited)
  14. mutley1's avatar
    steevieboy4u14/12/2021 21:35

    Tell me about it Will never make this mistake ever again. Learnt …Tell me about it Will never make this mistake ever again. Learnt today the best way forward with android is to encrypt both phone and SD card.Not sure this would have worked as my phone was turned off within 5 minutes of it going missing.


    as far as i understand, they can't use my phone without a factory reset, in which case they would lose everything anyway. if they ever switch the phone on then i could wipe the data remotely. with the phone lock, you can't access the phone data as far as i understand as whenever i connect it to my pc to look at the data on the phone, it asks for the phone to be unlocked before i can see the data on the pc.
  15. aLV426's avatar
    steevieboy4u14/12/2021 21:35

    Tell me about it Will never make this mistake ever again. Learnt …Tell me about it Will never make this mistake ever again. Learnt today the best way forward with android is to encrypt both phone and SD card.Not sure this would have worked as my phone was turned off within 5 minutes of it going missing.


    Don't forget to report it as lost or stolen - it renders it almost useless to anyone else as it will report it as Google locked (Factory Reset Protection (FRP) ). I have bought a lot of Android devices of ebay to know it's not worth the effort to try and get them unlocked!
  16. IAmATeaf's avatar
    So you left it in a taxi?
  17. aLV426's avatar
    mutley114/12/2021 21:51

    as far as i understand, they can't use my phone without a factory reset, …as far as i understand, they can't use my phone without a factory reset, in which case they would lose everything anyway. if they ever switch the phone on then i could wipe the data remotely. with the phone lock, you can't access the phone data as far as i understand as whenever i connect it to my pc to look at the data on the phone, it asks for the phone to be unlocked before i can see the data on the pc.


    It's not impossible, it's just not worth the time & effort involved...
  18. mutley1's avatar
    aLV42614/12/2021 21:53

    It's not impossible, it's just not worth the time & effort involved...


    i may have remembered wrongly, but thinking about the last time i went to factory reset my samsung, it asked me for the phone to be unlocked, so without the phone lock code, it is not possible to factory reset the phone and use it.
  19. aLV426's avatar
    IAmATeaf14/12/2021 21:52

    So you left it in a taxi?


    The first time my wife was in a taxi in 20 years she got a call from the taxi driver demanding that she "return the phone she took from his cab" and he has already called the police. Of course it was nonsense, but my wife was a tad annoyed at being accused of taking a phone from the taxi. I think the taxi driver was trying to shift the blame on my missus as the last fare left stated he left his phone in the back of his cab and my missus was his next fare. I couldn't help but laugh at the zemblanity of it all (seriously she hasn't been in a taxi for over 20 years, she hasn't been out during lock down, etc), however my missus still can't laugh about it.

    mutley114/12/2021 21:56

    i may have remembered wrongly, but thinking about the last time i went to …i may have remembered wrongly, but thinking about the last time i went to factory reset my samsung, it asked me for the phone to be unlocked, so without the phone lock code, it is not possible to factory reset the phone and use it.


    Samsung handsets are among the easiest to recover from an FRP as they have a lot more tools available for them... Like I said it's not impossible to reset FRP. Be careful with downloading tools online that claim to do it for you - they are more than likely a scam. (edited)
  20. steevieboy4u's avatar
    Author
    IAmATeaf14/12/2021 21:52

    So you left it in a taxi?


    Yeah and left it on the passenger seat. Taxi drove off I realised id left it. Got my mate to ring it and it was already turned off. On the lock screen I had it set with my house phone number as well.

    You can factory reset phones that aren't unlocked by just going into the bootloader but this doesn't wipe the SD card as they can remove that prior to wiping or just select no don't wipe SD card when factory resetting. I'm definitely encrypting both phone and SD when I get a new one so both are protected in the future. Just wish I'd know about this feature beforehand (edited)
  21. Bambibambo's avatar
    How can the recovery email for your gmail be your gmail account?
  22. IAmATeaf's avatar
    steevieboy4u14/12/2021 23:27

    Yeah and left it on the passenger seat. Taxi drove off I realised id left …Yeah and left it on the passenger seat. Taxi drove off I realised id left it. Got my mate to ring it and it was already turned off. On the lock screen I had it set with my house phone number as well.You can factory reset phones that aren't unlocked by just going into the bootloader but this doesn't wipe the SD card as they can remove that prior to wiping or just select no don't wipe SD card when factory resetting. I'm definitely encrypting both phone and SD when I get a new one so both are protected in the future. Just wish I'd know about this feature beforehand



    I hope you’ve left a suitable review online for the company to warn others.

    Similar thing happened to my daughter and friend on holiday, can’t remember what country but her friend left her phone in the cab when being dropped off at the airport in the way back. They rang the cab company, the driver initially denied that there was a phone then insisted that he be paid for bringing it back to her, think they ended up paying £100 to get the driver to bring it back.
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