So here’s my situation. My instructor required our class to use a shared email account that about 25 students had access to. The problem got worse because we also had to use shared computers with students from a different school. This meant basically anyone could see the email account details. I ended up deleting this Gmail account about a week ago because I was worried about privacy. Now I’m wondering if I can safely restore this email account or if there are security risks I should be concerned about. What happens when you recover a Gmail that multiple people knew about? Could someone still access it somehow or use it against me even after recovery?
Don’t try to recover that account - it’s too risky. Even if you get it back, Google keeps the same recovery methods and internal IDs. Any of those students who saved the recovery info or linked their devices could get back in through password resets or saved browser logins. You can’t guarantee they wiped all traces from those shared systems. Plus, if someone creates a new account with your old email while it’s deleted, they’ll get your messages. I’d let the deletion finish and just make a fresh Gmail account. Way safer than dealing with all those security holes from when it was shared.
i get where ur coming from. even if u recover it, those peeps might still have ur details. prob best to create a new acct and just move on, way easier that way!
Don’t even try recovering that account - it’s a security nightmare. Google’s recovery system depends on previously set recovery methods and device recognition. If any of those 25 students added recovery phones, backup emails, or used devices that are still logged in, they could get back in even after you recover it. Shared computers are especially bad since they cache credentials and browser data way longer than you’d think. I’ve seen old login sessions stay active on public computers for months. Just create a brand new Gmail account with a totally different username. You’ll get a clean slate without all the baggage from when everyone had access. Save any important contacts or info you need, then start over with proper security this time.