Gmail is bothering me lately with this message:
Hey, this is important: We don't have a password recovery email address or phone number for your account. If you lose access, we may not be able to help you.
It is common to use the recovery email address to gain access to another account, and same can be said on the mobile phone.
Should I supply Google with these details? What if my phone is stolen, can I inform Google of that change?
I'd add the phone first, before an alternate email. Phones are harder to hack than email accounts, after all. If you lose your phone (by theft or otherwise) just log in ASAP and delete the number. (I just tested; you can delete it just by saving with an empty text input.) You can also temporarily set the number to a trusted alternative.
Yes, I believe you can change the set number at this page:
https://www.google.com/accounts/UpdateAccountRecoveryOptions?hl=en&service=mail
And yes, I think add the phone number if you don't have an email address that you can use for a recovery email. Otherwise, just use an email address and set it as the recovery email, unless the account is super-important in which case putting the phone number would be a good idea!
