Set Up Google Account Recovery Options Before You Need Them

Google's account recovery works best when it has something to check you against. A recovery phone number and a recovery email address give it that, and they also mean Google can warn you quickly if someone else tries to get in. Many people only think about these settings after they are locked out, when it is too late to add them. This guide covers which options to set up, how changes are handled and how they fit with 2-Step Verification.

Last checked: 20 October 2026 against Google Account Help.

#What does recovery info do?

Google says recovery info helps you get back into your account if you forget your password, someone else uses your account, or you are locked out for another reason. It also says you cannot add recovery info while you are locked out or in the account recovery process, which is why it matters to set it up in advance (Google Account Help). Google notes that not all options are available in every region, account or device, and that work or school accounts may need an administrator.

#Which recovery options can I add?

Google says Workspace accounts, child accounts and accounts in the Advanced Protection Program cannot add selfie videos at this time.

#How do I add a recovery phone?

1. Go to your Google Account.
2. Click Security and sign-in.
3. Under How you sign in to Google, click Recovery phone. You might need to sign in.
4. Add, edit or delete the number and follow the steps.

Google says to use a mobile phone that gets text messages, belongs only to you, and that you use regularly and keep with you. When you add or change it, the change may take up to 7 days to take effect, so that if someone else made it you have time to secure the account. Google says a trusted passkey or security key may speed this up.

#How do I add a recovery email?

1. Go to your Google Account and click Security and sign-in.
2. Under How you sign in to Google, click Recovery email.
3. Follow the steps to add, edit or delete it.

Google says to choose an email address you use regularly, but not the one you use to sign in to your Google Account.

#How do recovery contacts work?

Google says to choose a recovery contact you know well and trust, such as a family member or close friend. Under How you sign in to Google, click Recovery contacts, then Add recovery contact, enter their email address and click Send request. They receive your name, email address and profile photo. Google says the request lasts 7 days, and once they accept, there is a 7-day period before you can use them for account recovery.

#What happens after I change recovery info?

Google says that if you change your recovery info or other authentication factors, it may send codes to your previous info for 7 days, so you can quickly secure the account if someone else is using it. If something about how you are signing in looks different, you might not be able to change recovery info at all; Google suggests trying from a device or location where you normally sign in, or the following week from the current device.

Google also says that if it detects a suspicious sign-in method on your account, it disables it and notifies you. You have 30 days from the warning to confirm you added it, otherwise it is deleted.

#How do backup codes fit in?

Recovery info is separate from 2-Step Verification. For the second step, Google offers backup codes: a set of 10 codes, each usable once, for when you lose your phone or cannot get codes. Creating a new set makes the old set inactive, and Google says never to share them, since it only asks for a backup code at sign-in (Google Account Help). Find them under Security and sign-in, then 2-Step Verification, then Backup codes.

#What if I am already locked out?

Google's recovery guidance says to answer the questions as best you can, and that wrong guesses will not end the process, as there is no limit on attempts. If you changed recovery info recently, it may take up to 7 days to take effect, so try again in a few days. Google also says you cannot call it for sign-in help and that it does not work with any service claiming to offer account or password support (Google Account Help). Our guide to Google account recovery form tips covers the process.

#A short checklist for today

1. Open Security and sign-in in your Google Account.
2. Check the recovery phone is a mobile number you keep and use.
3. Check the recovery email is a different address you can open.
4. Add a recovery contact you trust, and remind them to accept within 7 days.
5. Print a set of backup codes and store them with important documents.
6. Remove old numbers and addresses you no longer use.

#Common mistakes

• Using a Google Voice number as the recovery phone.
• Using the same address you sign in with as the recovery email.
• Waiting until you are locked out, when Google says you cannot add recovery info.
• Panicking when a new recovery phone is not used straight away, when Google says it can take up to 7 days.

#Watch out for recovery scams

Google's own settings, help pages and forms are the official routes. Anyone who messages you offering to restore or unlock your account, or who asks for your password, codes or recovery details, is not part of that process. Never share them. Our guide on spotting fake recovery services lists the warning signs.

#What are the realistic limits?

Google controls account recovery and decides whether the details you give are enough. Recovery info improves your chances but cannot promise a result. If you are already locked out, see Google 2-Step Verification and a lost phone or Google couldn't verify this account belongs to you.

AwareXone helps people review account access and security through official platform routes. We are independent and not affiliated with Google, the work is best-effort, and Google makes the final decision. Read more about our account security.