It’s a super frustrating situation to be in.

This is where having a recovery email set up can be a real lifesaver.

What Is a Recovery Email, and Why Is It So Important?

SanDisk Micro SD Express on pencil near external drive and calculator-1

Some providers additionally leverage the recovery email during the verification of important updates.

When making substantial changes to options, they may send a confirmation message to this secondary inbox for safety.

You may also want to consider making a dedicated recovery email withsecurity-focused email providers like ProtonMail or Tutanota.

A woman using a laptop with a recovery email screen.

Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek | insta_photos /Shutterstock

Another approach isusing a custom domain email, which gives you more control over your email setup.

For example, in Gmail, you’re able to find the recovery email field underyour account’sSecuritypage.

Once you add a recovery email, Gmail will send a verification code to that recovery email.

Gmail Account Security Page

Keep an eye out on your inbox for a message with a six-digit code.

When selecting an email for account recovery purposes,making sure it’s secureshould be top priority.

check that to enable two-factor authentication if your email provider offers it.

Screenshot 2024-07-20 212116

Keep the recovery email pretty privatedon’t use it for your regular emails or random site signups.

Also, check in on it regularly to ensure the account stays active and accessible in an emergency.