Google launches Recovery Contacts feature that lets you restore account access with the help of friends

Google is launching new security tools designed to make it easier to recover accounts if they’ve been hacked or their passwords have been lost. The main innovation is the Recovery Contacts feature, which allows users to designate trusted people — friends or family members who can verify their identity and help them regain control of their account.

This feature is available for personal Google accounts in the Security section. The company doesn’t reveal the exact technical details of the verification, but emphasizes that it’s a “simple and secure way to recover access when standard methods don’t work”.

Another innovation is Sign in with Mobile Number. This feature for Android allows you to automatically identify an account by the phone number it’s associated with. It will be useful in cases where the user has lost the device and is trying to regain access on a new smartphone. Instead of entering a password, the system will ask for the screen lock code from the old device.

The update is part of the company’s broader strategy to strengthen protection against fraud and hacking attacks. Other new features include warnings in Google Messages about possible malicious links in spam messages and the Key Verifier tool, which helps verify contacts and avoid fakes.