Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Google is rolling out two new ways to recover your account after you lose access.
“Recovery Contacts” lets you pick trusted friends and family to verify your identity.
Users will soon be able to use their mobile number and lock screen passcode to sign in.
The thought of losing access to your Google account for whatever reason is bad enough. But being unable to recover that account would be even worse. To make account recovery less of a pain in the neck, Google is rolling out new account recovery tools.
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The Mountain View-based firm already offers a few ways to regain access to a locked account, like registering a recovery email address. However, the methods to reclaim a lost account are fairly limited. Thankfully, Google plans to expand the number of available options with two additional alternatives.
Starting today, you’ll be able to set up a “Recovery Contact.” This recovery tool will allow you to handpick trusted family and friends to assist with verifying your identity. So if you’re account is compromised or you forget your password, your Recovery Contact can step in to help. You’ll be able to find Recovery Contact under Security in your Google account.
The other method for recovering your account is signing in with your mobile number. In case you break your phone, lose it, or it’s stolen, you’ll be able to use your mobile phone number to log in to your account. When you enter your number, the accounts connected to that number will automatically be identified. You’ll then be asked for the lock screen passcode for the missing device, which will serve as verification. According to Google, this recovery tool will roll out gradually worldwide.
Along with these new recovery options, Google announced it will help educate users on scams and how to spot them. For this, the company is launching a game called Be Scam Ready, which runs players through real-life scam and fraud scenarios. The company is also rolling out a couple of safety features for Google Messages.
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