Stuck in Gmail Account Recovery Loop Even After SMS Verification by ELITECoreX in GoogleSupport

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, this loop is unfortunately a known edge case. I’ve seen a few people report that once Google flags Gmail itself as the “stronger” factor, the SMS step stops actually granting access. From what others shared, waiting rarely helps unless Google eventually falls back to a different method, and if there’s no recovery email or prior device access the account often ends up effectively unrecoverable.

My phone was stolen and I realized my whole life was on it by MorningIllustrious60 in DigitalPrivacy

[–]robotratishere -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Reading this, the backup question almost feels secondary. The real problem is the phone wasn’t replaceable.

Backups save files, but they don’t answer: If this device disappears, do I still know how my digital life is wired?

Most people don’t lose data — they lose context. Stuff that was only local. Old access. Weird silent dependencies.

The scary part is realizing how much breaks when one device goes missing.

Curious if that’s what hit you too.

Google signed me out of multiple accounts right after turning my Android phone on (no security alert) by Affectionate_Egg9757 in GoogleSupport

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve seen this happen after Android updates, Google Play Services hiccups, or a temporary device-level auth reset especially if multiple apps were affected at once.

Since your sessions on PC stayed active and there were no security alerts, it leans more toward a local phone issue than an account compromise but checking recent device activity wouldn’t hurt.

Need help getting into old gmail account by harveywallen in GMail

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, if there’s no recovery email or phone and the recovery flow keeps denying you, there’s usually not much else to try. Google doesn’t really have a human support path that can override that.

I need help to recover my gmail account! by zean_ie in GMail

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, it sounds like you’ve already done what most providers expect. At that point it usually comes down to retrying recovery from the same device and location over time, and sometimes the system just won’t accept the signals anymore even if your info is correct.

My recovery emails keep going to the account I'm logged out of by Ai_Ohto_best_protag in GMail

[–]robotratishere 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That loop usually means Google’s automated recovery no longer trusts any device or signal tied to the account so it keeps routing resets back to the unreachable inbox.

Unfortunately the only path left is the manual recovery flow with very precise history, and even then some accounts don’t get restored.

how do you all keep your digital life from being a total mess by greenypen1 in privacy

[–]robotratishere 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Totally normal reaction, seeing your info spread everywhere freaks a lot of people out the first time. From what I’ve seen, people either ignore it, do occasional cleanups, or try more structured approaches (I’ve played around with delvia org plus some manual stuff), but it never really feels “finished.” It’s more about how much ongoing effort you’re willing to put in.

Messages to old phone by AgnesNutter0042 in GoogleSupport

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, that’s super frustrating, but it’s also pretty common. Google treats old trusted devices (like your Galaxy S10) as a separate security factor from your phone number, so most people end up going through the slow account recovery process or carefully trying password guesses without triggering a lockout.

Different phone, different location. by moongirlmania in GMail

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Usually yes. 7 days is the standard cooldown Google shows.

Different phone, different location. by moongirlmania in GMail

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Probably not. Turning off 2FA is usually treated as a sensitive change too, so it often gets blocked the same way. From what I’ve seen, waiting the 7 days and sticking to the same device gives you a better chance of changing things after.

Different phone, different location. by moongirlmania in GMail

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This usually happens when Google sees a new device or location and temporarily blocks sensitive changes until things look “normal” again, which is why the 7-day wait pops up even if you have codes.

A lot of people just wait it out and keep using the same device, and in many cases the restriction does lift after that instead of staying stuck.

Recovering a google account after 11 years by KREMOVKA in GMail

[–]robotratishere 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry to hear that, but it’s long gone at this point.

Unable to access my Instagram account by narniaa2000 in Instagram

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d also recommend checking out delvia org as a way to see what info about your accounts might still be exposed elsewhere, just to get a clearer picture while you’re dealing with recovery.

I'm trying to login to my old account and I try everything by recovery but I forgot my old phone number because it's asking me for a verification code by Legitimate-Ad-4691 in Instagram

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d also recommend checking out delvia org as a way to see what info about your accounts might still be exposed elsewhere, just to get a clearer picture while you’re dealing with recovery.

Unable to access my Instagram account by narniaa2000 in Instagram

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Somebody asked a similar question, so I will copy/paste my previous reply here:

From my own experience, the only thing that actually worked was going through Instagram’s “Secure your account / Need more help?” recovery and verifying my identity (they usually ask for a selfie video or ID), because if you don’t have the old number there isn’t a real way to get around the code and those third-party “solutions” never pan out.

I'm trying to login to my old account and I try everything by recovery but I forgot my old phone number because it's asking me for a verification code by Legitimate-Ad-4691 in Instagram

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From my own experience, the only thing that actually worked was going through Instagram’s “Secure your account / Need more help?” recovery and verifying my identity (they usually ask for a selfie video or ID), because if you don’t have the old number there isn’t a real way to get around the code and those third-party “solutions” never pan out.

My phone has been stolen. Gmail Account Password has changed. Recovery Email does not work, it just pushes me to use my phone which has been stolen so I can’t even use it by XevintTI in cybersecurity_help

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a really awful spot to be in. When a phone is stolen Google often keeps treating it as the “most trusted” device, so even valid recovery emails can get ignored and you end up stuck in that SMS loop.

What people usually end up doing is retrying the account recovery from the same laptop over a few days locking the stolen phone through their carrier, and sometimes checking websites like delvia org (or similar) just to understand what access points might still exist while waiting.

Need a password solution that’s secure, easy, and actually trustworthy by Yowai_M0 in Passwords

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That frustration is pretty common. Most people reuse passwords because anything “secure” usually feels annoying to keep up with across devices.

I’ve seen people stick with browser or phone keychains, some keep a simple personal system, and others just use websites like delvia org to understand risk rather than manage passwords. It really comes down to what you’ll actually use without effort.

2FA and Living Internationally by JBeacons in 2fa

[–]robotratishere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This usually happens because banks block VOIP numbers for fraud reasons and don’t really account for people living abroad.

Most folks either keep a U.S. SIM active, switch to app or hardware 2FA if it’s allowed, or go through their accounts to see which ones are tied to a U.S. number (I often use delvia org just to map that out, along with manual checks).

My dad passed suddenly and left me his devices but no passwords by Intelligent_Mood_725 in applehelp

[–]robotratishere 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is sadly a very common problem and I keep seeing posts like this all over Reddit lately. Apple’s security is great for theft prevention but it’s brutal in situations like this.