OK, here's an odd question: how can I hack into my own GMail account? Let me explain.

My wife's email address is firstnamemaidenname@gmail.com. When we got married, she took my last name and at some point asked me to sign her up for firstnamemarriedname@gmail.com, which I did. This account was then never used once.

That was 7 years ago. Fast forward to today, and she's interested in starting to use that account. The only problem is that I can't get into it! It was before I was using LastPass, and everything I've tried with the account recovery tool has failed. The main problem is that half of the criteria they use to prove that you own the account is stuff like "list frequently emailed contacts." Well, nobody was ever emailed on that account. It also asks for the last date you remember logging in, and when the account was set up. It's been so long that I can't remember these exactly, and I don't know if it needs exact numbers.

So what can I do now?

And you didn't put your mobile phone number in? That's the one I've used (an SMS with a code) to unlock a couple of side accounts I have.

There's also the alternate email address method.

Of course if you never set any of that up or have changed numbers/emails since then, you're probably out of luck.

Google/Gmail support?

7 years ago, they weren't asking for a mobile phone number.

After 7 years of inactivity could it have been voided, put back into the pool and someone else now has it?

Fair enough.



Found this:


At the end of the day if you don't know the password and didn't set up any of the recovery options then you're probably SOL. How else can you prove the account was yours?

I've not heard of anyone but Yahoo doing this, and they caught hell for it.

I realize it's unlikely that I'll get it back, I was just seeing if anyone had any ideas. And no, I don't believe there was ever a phone number associated with the account.

Last resort would be to contact Google support (however you do that). You never know - they might be able to help if you give them enough info.

Hotmail did that also. I managed to get back an account I forgot the password to that way.