Regain Access to Temporarily Locked Gmail Account Instantly

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.

1. Access MS Outlook.
2. In the Exchange Admin Center Dashboard, go to Recipients > Mailboxes.
3. Use the search function to find the mailbox for which you want to turn the IMAP and POP off.
4. Go to Mailbox Features > Email Connectivity. Click the Disable button below POP3 and IMAP.
5. Confirm the action and press Save.
6. Relaunch the browser.
7. 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.

1. On your browser, press Ctrl +Shift +Delete keys to view the Clear Browsing Data panel.
2. Select the Cached data, cookies, and other files.
3. Press the Clear Data button.
4. Relaunch the browser and access the Gmail login page.
5. 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.

1. Go to your browser.
2. In the address bar type browser_name:/extensions [for example, edge://extensions]
3. 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.