Gmail Lockout

[CyclicUser]

I use Gmail. I do not use a cell phone, nor do I use texting.
Today I could not access my Gmail.
I went through an endless cycle of trying to access my email.
Apparently, the only way for Google to recover my account is for them to send me a text message.
Can't seem to find a phone number to speak to an actual person.
Suggestions?

 

[CyclicUser]

Called the Google number. Eventually you get to account recovery. Tells you to go to google.com/accounts/recovery.
This sends me through the same cycle I already went through with no results.
Guess I'll wait until my wife comes home from work at the lab and see if I can use her cell phone to get a text message.
I went to Gmail when Verizon stopped providing email service.
My phone company at my house in the mountains provides email service. I'll start switching over.
Other than that, what is another good email service?

 

[WelshBloke]

Proton — Privacy by default

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If you are actually actively choosing an email provider then protonmail.

 

[CyclicUser]

When wife came home I put in her cell number and was able to log on using the code they texted.
Gmail has asked repeatedly for my cell number in the past, which was impossible to give, since I don't use cell phones.
Now they have a cell number to attach to my account.
After I logged on I had a message that says there was "suspicious" activity on my account.
Checked it and it was me logging in.

 

[mindless1]

This might be a shot in the dark, but when they want a phone # to send you a text message, will they accept (had you tried) inputting an email address to see if that would work? Technically it can, if they have the open mind to conceive of doing it.

However I don't recall it being the case that the only way to recover a gmail account is a text message. Seems like I have a backup email address set as the recovery for mine... maybe? It sure seems like I did that once upon a time ago, maybe that is no longer an option and I'm grandfathered in? Granted, I have a cell and google knows about it, so maybe they just didn't bother me when they changed that.

I'm the last person to push unnecessary tech on people but no cell phone, really? Even if you want to cut costs, a 2nd hand $20 phone is not that great an expense, and could come in handy now that payphones are virtually nonexistent. If nothing else you can watch videos on it when you get bored waiting somewhere... No streaming required, local storage can hold a few hours of video on just about any phone at the resolution it has... relatively lower bitrate, smaller file size for lower tier phones with lower storage capacity. I'd consider that a hardship but just sayin', a mobile computer that fits in your pocket is not a bad thing.