Imagine you wake up just like any other morning. As your coffee is brewing, you check your phone and look over any emails in your inbox. But you find your account is locked, you have no access, and panic starts settling quickly. What now? How can you fix this issue? Don't worry; help is on the way.
How Gmail Accounts Get Disabled
As frustrating as getting locked out of your Gmail account is, knowing how this happens can make a difference. Typically, there are three common scenarios that most users find themselves in and unable to access their account.
1. Forgot Password
It's not uncommon to forget your password or change it on one device but not on another, leaving most users annoyed by this headache.
2. Possible Hacking
Although not something that happens every day, it does happen. In this case, Google looks to proactively disable the potentially hacked account to stop the hacker from making away with any sensitive information.
3. Violation of Policies
The final scenario is when a user violates Google's user policies. When the users are involved in abusive content or email phishing attacks, the account is then disabled.
Locked Out, What Now?
When it comes to problems with passwords or credentials, the fix is a simple one. Here, users will take users step by step through a series of questions using a secondary email or phone number. Click the "Forgot email?" link below the login form; from there, Google will guide you through its Automated Recovery process.
The process is the same for hijacked accounts; click on the "Forgot email?" link below the login form and head over to the Account Recovery tool. For both instances, it helps if users already have a phone number and secondary email set up in advance, saving time and the headache of making another account.
The accounts flagged for violating Google's term of use have the option to have their case reviewed up the next login. For this situation, users should understand why their account was disabled before submitting their case for review, which takes about two days.
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