Google is very strict in keeping its products and services up to its policies. If Google finds any suspicious or unusual activity on your account then it will strike out the access to the service. To help protect your account from fraud or abuse, Google might temporarily suspend your account.
According to Google Help Support, specific activities may lock down your account which may last from a minute to 24 hours depending on the behavior of your account usage detected by the system. This guide explains how to gain access to a temporarily locked Gmail account.
Reasons Why Gmail Account Gets Temporarily Locked
- Receiving, deleting, or downloading large amounts of mail via POP or IMAP in a short period.
- Sending a large number of un-delivering messages.
- Being logged into or synchronizing Gmail on many computers, clients, or mobile devices.
- Providing access to file-sharing, file-storage software, email analytics services, browser extensions, or third-party software that automatically logs in to your Gmail account.
- Inbox reloading issue while using a browser.
- Using Gmail at many locations.
- Account access to third-party apps causing misleading activities without your concern.
- Incorrect sign-in attempts crossing over the limits (Hacking).
Google filters are very powerful and can detect any suspicious activity on your account. Filters may mark your invaluable and misleading mailing behavior as spam. Thus resulting in the blocking of your Gmail account access. Sometimes the lockdown may last for 30 to 40 hours.
Unusual-Usage Account Temporarily Locked Down Message
How to Unlock Your Locked Gmail Account?
Here are a few troubleshooting tips that may help you find and tackle the primary issue causing you to get locked out of your Gmail account.
Try Cookie Method
Every time you sign in to your account, cookie data is taken up by Google and stored on its servers. These cookies and cache data help for further references for log-in. But when you enter an incorrect password cookies undergo expiration and when the limit number of attempts is crossed the cookies expire. Thus locking your account.
You can access your locked Gmail account just by signing in using a different Google server. These servers do not have any knowledge of cookies expiration and locking of your Google account hence can be used for login. New servers are fresh and thus, you can view and access your emails.
Try this Tips and Tricks
The above-mentioned method is one and if it doesn’t work you have no other option than to wait for your Gmail lock down be uplifted by Google within 24 hours. But you can get access to your emails quicker than the set time with the following steps.
- Remove IMAP and POP settings made from your email software.
- Close all open Gmail instances in your devices and browsers
- Revoke access to third-party apps and software
- Remove all the browser extensions.
- Clear cache of your browser and log in again
Turn off IMAP/POP Settings on the Email Software to Which your Locked Gmail Account is Connected
It is not possible on your part to access your Gmail settings. However, if you have connected your email account to other email services such as Outlook, you may make changes to the POP/IMAP settings on the latter.
Ideally, it is suggested that turning off the IMAP and POP features should be helpful to regain access to a locked Gmail account.
If your Gmail account is connected to Outlook, you may follow this workaround.
- Access MS Outlook.
- In the Exchange Admin Center Dashboard, go to Recipients > Mailboxes.
- Use the search function to find the mailbox for which you want to turn the IMAP and POP off.
- Go to Mailbox Features > Email Connectivity. Click the Disable button below POP3 and IMAP.
- Confirm the action and press Save.
- Relaunch the browser.
- Go to the Gmail login page, insert the credentials, and attempt to sign in.
NOTE: If you have tried signing-in a couple of times already in the last few hours, wait for at least twenty-four hours before attempting a fresh log-in.
How to Avoid Future Lockdowns?
- Do not send more than 500 limited messages and avoid bulk emails
- Do not have Gmail opened at different locations
- Avoid giving account access to third-party apps or software
- Avoid sending large media files
- If your latest downloaded browser extension is causing issues, delete it.
Clear the Browser Cache
Remove the junk data from the browser cache. Mostly, on a PC, users access Gmail through a browser.
Data is cached by the browser to provide faster access to webpages to the user in each session they visit specific pages. This process often leads to the accumulation of pages that no longer exist in the web server. Such junk information may cause problems in the browser’s function. It can be cleared out easily.
- On your browser, press Ctrl +Shift +Delete keys to view the Clear Browsing Data panel.
- Select the Cached data, cookies, and other files.
- Press the Clear Data button.
- Relaunch the browser and access the Gmail login page.
- Enter the credentials for your account and see if you can access it now.
Turn off Browser Extensions
If you have recently integrated any plugin on your browser through which you access Gmail, that may have caused some technical difficulty.
It is wise to momentarily turn off all the extensions installed on your browser.
- Go to your browser.
- In the address bar type browser_name:/extensions [for example, edge://extensions]
- Use the toggle next to the extensions to turn them off.
Now, check if you can log in to your Gmail account.
NOTE: If using Firefox browser, go to about:addons in the URL bar to find the list of installed addons/extensions.
How to Avoid Hacking Attempts?
You must remember and follow a few tips to avoid getting temporarily locked out of your Gmail account. If any hacking attempts are made on your account you can protect it from future advertisements by setting up 2-step verification which prompts you to verify your identity by sending you a message on your backup number or account.
Conclusion
I hope you were able to unblock your temporary suspension by this method. If they don’t work you have no other option than waiting for 24 -36 hours. If the wait doesn’t work then put your problem in Google Help Forum. Please comment below for any assistance, queries, or suggestions.
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I received no warning about suspicious activity, but my email stopped arriving this morning! I tried calling one help number and some guy started selling me security and saying that my account has been under scrutiny for 3 months and attempts to steal it have occurred in three states, including Florida and North Carolina! If this is true, why did it take 3 months for them to lock my gmail account without letting me know? This help number person made me nervous as he wanted to set up security on my account, asking my name and email address. Is this a scam? I changed my password after I hing up as I thought he might be a problem. He said to “ask an intelligent person” and call his number again. I’m still locked out. What is my alternative? Can I speak to someone who is really part of gmail?
Do a security checkup of your account and its activity.
I’m very frustrated I have tried for weeks to get into one of my gmail accounts. I forgot the. Password and no longer have the number associated with recovery or changing password. Google does not make it easy for someone to regain their own email and I’m ready to get rid of all my gmail and Google and never use it again. I’ve tried absolutely everything I can find on this topic short of talking to someone at Google cause there is no phone number to call and everytime I’m searching it takes me I. The same circle of things to try which none of them work please help.
Yes! I am having that same EXACT problem. I need in my acct!
I too have been a gmail user for ten years, after having one of my business accts locked by google and no personal help, and losing thousands of dollars in business, I will never use a google acct again. Its unbelievable that Google has no help for a situation like this. BEWARE!!! STOP USING GOOGLE!!
Arbitrarily locked out of my gmail. Verification code supposedly sent to my cell phone never arrived. I am bitterly disappointed in Google and am ready to abandon gmail and go to another email provider.
Google should send you a “warning” email before locking your account… maybe when you hit the 85% threshold. How did I get locked out? I have my security software emailing FROM me TO me…. no warning, just locked out of my account now. 🙁
I have sent multiple requests for my account to be unlocked. Have been using this email for like 17 yrs. Lots of info there. Gmail dod an update recently & locked people out of their accounts & some were lucky enough to be able to get back in. I haven’t changed my password, but yet I have been locked out since February 22nd. Pretty frustrating!! If you don’t have a google account on your phone, you cant do too much on it.
My tablet was stolen and i locked the screen now i am lockes out of my gmail account i keep sending change password to my email n phone number does nothing.I have contacted the police i have serial numbers
I’m locked out of my account and I don’t have any backups or phone number what do I do cos I need to saingh in to my apple id
Very Urgent : Hi… Need a help. My sister has created a new gmail account in november, 2016. she forgot her password now. It does not have an recovery email or number added. We got an important email to her account now.
Can someone please help ?
Tap on forget password and it will ask you some questions which you need to fill correctly.
Same problems…
Can you remove the photos and passwords that show up on Facebook passwords naming Maddis17,Murphy 2017,Anissia 6
Sorry
Information posted in this blog is incorrect, inaccurate, or out-dated. Once your account is locked, there is no way you can unlock until Google decides to unlock it.
However, you can still access your account via iPhone if you have Google setup as within your stock iOS email application. You just can’t access the mobile web version.
What if i make a new account is it gonna work?
Sure but you need to make a different ID.
I think I did not clear all my emails on gmail. Cannot remember when started account or password..over four years I think. Should write it down and hide in house. Want to do tax through an agent and would like her to access my history for 2017 tax. How can I get into my account when it asks starting date? Need to scroll down gmail to answer this question…going in circles!!!
Google locked me out as well. I do t know what to do. They said they would help me into 3 business days.
My Gmail account is blocked pleasd hlep me my account name is [email protected]
My Gmail account is locked can you please help
It’s OK for google to charge me for storage, but when I delete messages to reduce the storage they lock me out!
Please help locked out my Gmail account on my phone. It’s got my phone login to another account. Help please
My cable modem’s IP lease expired and my Internet Service Provider assigned a new IP address sometime during the middle of the day. As I leave my computer on during the workday, the email client periodically polls the various Gmail accounts that I run for various purposes and Google’s “powerful” filters figured out that someone 80 miles away now had my passwords and was trying to break into the email accounts using an “unknown device”, so Google started sending me text message alerts. I spun my wheels for nearly six hours until I figured out that Google’s “powerful” filter is an idiot: Someone who lives 80 miles from here previously had the IP address that’s now assigned to me and Google has no way in the world to accurately determine its geographic location. All it knows is that a strange IP address is being used by my email client to log into the server. In the meantime I had needlessly changed passwords on a couple of accounts and had gotten locked out of a couple more due to typos while I was trying to authenticate my login credentials. I’m forced to log into each and every Gmail account to verify, “Yes that’s me”, to allow the email client to talk to the mail servers again. What a mess. Do the folks at Google ever think ahead about how their “security” features can royally mess up their users? As a result of this experience I will be moving my mission-critical email accounts to another provider that is a bit less security hyper-conscious.
SOLVED: (Well, for me anyway) So like many of you, this was driving me crazy. I figured there had to be a logical explanation and nothing they listed sounded right — save one. The solution? I went into my Chrome extensions and disabled or deleted everything that accessed gmail. Clearly one of the was at fault because I rebooted and it’s been smooth sailing for a few days since.
I let my friend borrow my old phone did a factory reset before hand I have just got my phone back but unable to set the phone back up because it wants her details but now she has forgotten these details we tried a number or variants but all unsuccessful thus lock the account how do I get passed this now my phone is currently in for repair and I need a phone for my work HELP!!!
I’m very frustrated I have tried for weeks to get into one of my gmail accounts. I forgot the. Password and no longer have the number associated with recovery or changing password. I have an option to give alternative email ID of my sister but still it is not coming. When I tried to login my sister account since she is other state it got blocked her also . We don’t know what to do . We need gmail account back , can you please assit any other way to retrieve the password .
I’m locked out of my account and I don’t have any backups or phone number what do I do cos I need to saingh in to my apple id
Help im locked out of my email, don have the recovery phone number, the verification codes sent to back up email didnt work then it got locked r u kidding me
Hi sir my account Chang password problem temparl block please unblock my account
My account activ please sir my account block
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Too many failed attempt my problem please solve my problem please recover my Gmail account help me
I have not received any new e-mails to my gmail account for 2 days. What is going on?