I lost my Gmail password, how do I access my Gmail account?

It seems like just about everything, from email accounts to banks, requires a password these days. Because of that, it's very easy to forget or lose your passwords; even writing them down doesn't always help.

But if you lose your Gmail password, don't worry. You can still access your account through the password retrieval system they have on their Gmail sign in page. Gmail sends you your password through one of two ways:
1. The password is sent to your secondary email address, if you provided one. When you sign up for your Gmail account, you had the option of including another email address as a back-up for times like this. This is recommended in case you forget or lose your password. It is also considered the safest option for retrieving your password, since it can be sent to you without having to ask you your security question.
2. If you didn't provide a secondary email address, your security question is asked. Once you give the answer, you can reset your password. When you sign up for a Gmail account, you are asked to pick a security question from a drop down menu. These range from "What is my library card number" to "What was my first teacher's name." Or, if you don't like any of those, you can write in your own question.

If you have lost your password, the following steps will help you to get the password and resign in:
1. Go to the Gmail sign-in page. Click the "I cannot access my account" option below the fields in which you would normally supply your information.
2. You will be sent to a page with a number of options. Select the first option, "I've forgotten my password."
3. From there, you will be asked to fill in your username.
4. Once you give them your user name, you can either provide your secondary email address, and your password will be sent to that, or you can opt to have them ask you your security question.
5. Once you have retrieved the information, you will be asked to reset your password.

Choosing the right password
The best way to avoid having to retrieve a lost password is to choose one that is easy for you to remember but will be difficult for others to guess. Consider the following tips:
If you want to use numbers, consider using Roman numerals for increased security (for example, jane15 would be janeXV).
Keep in mind that the more complex or the longer your password is, the less likely you will be to remember it.
Avoid using easily guessed information, like your name, your birth date, or consecutive numbers, such as 1234.
Try using a combination of letters and numbers, This is safer and more difficult to remember than just using numbers or just using letters.
Use names, but just remove the vowels. For example, if you want your password to be your name, janedoe, taking the vowels out would make it jnd.

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