How do I finish setting up a new Android phone when the Google password is forgotten?
Answer
Setup is asking you to prove the account is yours. Recover the Google password from another device using Google's account recovery page, then return to the phone and sign in. If recovery is not possible, the phone can be set up with a different Google account, but anything backed up to the old account will not transfer.
Before you start: stop right away if…
- No legitimate service can bypass this screen for a fee. Anyone offering to unlock it for payment is running a scam.
- Setting the phone up with a different account leaves the previous account's backups inaccessible from this device.
Follow these steps
Note which account the phone is asking for
Read the address shown on the setup screen and write it down exactly, including any partly hidden characters.
You should see: You know which Google account needs recovering.
Start Google's account recovery on another device
On a computer or second phone, open a browser and go to Google's account recovery page, then enter that address.
You should see: Google offers ways to confirm the account is yours.
Confirm your identity and set a new password
Choose whichever option you can actually complete — a code by text, a prompt on a signed-in device, or a recovery email — then set a new password you write down.
You should see: Google confirms the password has changed.
Return to the phone and sign in
Go back to the waiting setup screen and enter the account address with the new password.
You should see: Setup continues past the sign-in step.
If recovery fails, set up with a different account
You can complete setup using another Google account, or create a new one. Do this only if you accept that photos, contacts, and app data saved to the old account will not appear.
You should see: The phone finishes setup, though the old account's backup stays where it is.
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Extra tips
What to look for: A setup screen naming a specific Google address, sometimes partly hidden (for example j••••@gmail.com). That hint tells you which account to recover.
Before you change anything: Have a second device to hand for the recovery codes, and make sure you can receive email or texts on whatever recovery method the account uses.
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