How to recover a Google Account that I already have full access to and know the password?

Question

I have a throw-away Gmail account for forums, etc. I barely ever log into it since I have my main Gmail account retrieve emails from it over POP3.

Now, I would like to log in and Google is refusing to let me in despite entering a 100% correct password straight from the password manager.

I don't have any info except the login, the password, and, you know, the entire contents of the inbox. The POP3 retrieval continues to work flawlessly. I even get the "Someone has your password" emails. Thanks for letting me know, Google.

Google does offer some recovery options.

First is to send a text to an associated phone number but the account was created before number registration became compulsory in my country and I had a whole bunch of throw away phone numbers which expired when the law came into effect.

Second is to answer a security question but I just assumed it was for recovering the password which I did not plan to lose so I chose frequent flyer card number and probably entered a bunch of random numbers. (I know, I should have saved the answer along with the password.)

Third is to answer a question of when the accounts was created. Easy since I have the original welcome to Gmail emails. Then it asks for an alternate email address, verifies it with a code, and refuses to let me in.

So... How can I recover Gmail accounts that I already have almost full access to?

EDIT: It's not a duplicate because I didn't forget the username, or the password, or anything else. I have all the info and tried the regular recovery steps.

Answer 1

You can't unless you can prove that you are dead

then you can use the access a deceased friend or relative recovery options that google has.

https://support.google.com/accounts/troubleshooter/6357590?hl=en

But even that might not help you.

I'm sorry but the same thing happened to me just recently.

Sometimes google gives you the "try another option" option and you can use a secondary email to get in and sometimes you can use an email google hasn't recogized before and it will work and sometimes it doesn't work. Good luck!!! And maybe next time use a different service for throwaway email. Something with less security.

Answer 2

As it turns out, the recovery does not require a phone number associated with the account. Just any phone number will do. They send a text message to it and you can unlock the account.

Google here is not protecting your data. It's protecting itself.