Set up this new Google account recovery feature ASAP - and never get locked out again

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• You can turn to trusted contacts to recover your Google account.
• You can also sign in to a new phone just by using your number.
• Google Messages will alert you to spam and keep your texts private.

We've probably all been locked out of an account at one time or another. It's not that hard, especially if it's one you don't use frequently. You forget or mistype your PIN or password enough times, and poof, you're denied access. Now, Google has cooked up a new and unique way to recover your account if you're locked out.

Recovery contacts

A new feature called Recovery contacts lets you assign a trusted friend or family member to help you get back into your Google account. If you forget your password, lose your ...