Google accounts, Search results and Business Profiles: every guide in one place

01 / Guides12 guides

Guides

• Google account disabled: how to appeal and get Gmail and YouTube back3 min readGoogle account disabled? What it means for Gmail and YouTube, how to start an appeal, the two-appeal limit and the extra options for users in the EU.
• Gmail or Google account hacked? How to recover it and lock it down3 min readGoogle account or Gmail hacked and the password changed? How Google’s account recovery works, how to give it the best chance, and what to secure afterwards.
• Deleted Google Account: how to recover it — and when it’s too late3 min readDeleted your Google Account or Gmail? How to recover a recently deleted account, what to do if it fails, Workspace accounts and Google’s 2-year inactivity rule.
• How to recover a Google Account or Gmail without your phone or recovery email3 min readLost the phone and recovery email on your Gmail? How Google’s recovery checks work, the tips that matter most, why phone support can’t help, and when to start over.
• How to remove negative content from Google: a practical guide3 min readRemove outdated pages, negative news and personal data from Google: Results about you, the outdated content tool, legal requests, the right to be forgotten.
• How to remove your personal information from the internet3 min readYour phone number, address or old photos online? Remove personal data from Google, people-search sites, social media and old accounts — and stop it coming back.
• GDPR right to erasure: how to get personal data deleted and delisted from Google3 min readUse GDPR Article 17 to get personal data deleted by a website or platform, and the right to be forgotten to delist results from Google in Europe.
• Can you remove negative Google reviews? What Google actually allows3 min readGoogle only removes reviews that break its policies. Which reviews qualify, how to report them from your Business Profile, how appeals work — and what not to do.
• Google Business Profile suspended: how to appeal and get back on Maps3 min readBusiness Profile suspended? Read the reason in the appeals tool, fix the guideline issue, send the right evidence and avoid mistakes that keep it down.
• Private photos or videos leaked online: how to get them removed3 min readIntimate images shared without consent, or someone threatening to? Free tools that stop them spreading — StopNCII, Take It Down, platform and Google removals.
• Deepfake of you online: how to get AI-generated images, videos and voice removed3 min readFake or AI-generated video, image or voice of you? Report it to the platform, remove it from Google, use StopNCII and the US TAKE IT DOWN Act’s 48-hour rule.
• When someone dies: their Facebook, Instagram and Google accounts3 min readA loved one has died. How to memorialize or remove their Facebook and Instagram accounts, close a Google account or request its data — and what platforms won’t do.

02 / Our services3

Our services

• Google Result Removal & Business ProfileServiceOutdated articles, exposed personal data or a wrong Google business listing? We use Google's official removal, right-to-be-forgotten and correction routes.
• Reputation Management & Press ContentServiceWhen negative results can't be removed, the answer is outranking them with genuine, accurate press content. No fabricated articles, no fake credentials.
• YouTube Channel RecoveryServiceYouTube channel terminated or suspended? We prepare the one appeal that counts and pursue escalation through YouTube's official routes. Free pre-analysis.

03 / Official help pages10

Official help pages

The platform’s own pages these guides are built on. Every route listed here is free.

• Google Account Help — your account is disabledsupport.google.com
• Google Account Help — secure a hacked accountsupport.google.com
• Google Account Help — account recoverysupport.google.com
• Google Account Help — recover a recently deleted accountsupport.google.com
• Google Account Help — delete your Google Accountsupport.google.com
• Google Account Help — how to recover your Google Accountsupport.google.com
• Google Account Help — tips for account recoverysupport.google.com
• Google Account Help — inactive account policysupport.google.com
• Google Workspace Admin Help — restore a recently deleted userknowledge.workspace.google.com
• Google Account Help — set up recovery optionssupport.google.com

04 / Key terms12 terms

Key terms

• Delisting
• Right to be forgotten
• Data broker
• Doxxing
• Non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII)
• Deepfake
• Two-factor authentication (2FA)
• Authenticator app
• Passkey
• Backup codes
• Recovery waiting period
• Deletion grace period

05 / For every platform35 guides

For every platform

• Official account recovery links for every platform (2026)3 min readThe genuine recovery, appeal and help-centre pages for Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, YouTube, Google, X, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Telegram and Microsoft.
• Appeal deadlines by platform: how long you have to challenge a ban (2026)4 min readHow long you have to appeal a suspended or disabled account on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X, Google, WhatsApp and Snapchat — and what happens after.
• How long does account recovery take? Waiting times and windows by platform (2026)4 min readAccount recovery, reopening and reinstatement wait times for Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta, WhatsApp, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch and Pinterest in one sourced table.
• Who else is logged in to your account? Where to check — and sign out — devices on 12 platforms4 min readWhere to see the devices logged in to your Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn, Telegram, Snapchat, TikTok and Discord accounts.
• How to turn on two-factor authentication on 12 platforms — and the backup that saves you when the phone is gone4 min readWhere to turn on two-factor authentication on Google, Apple, Microsoft, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Telegram and Discord.
• How to report a phishing email, text or fake login page — and what to do if you clicked3 min readGot a fake “your account will be closed” email or text? Where to report phishing to Gmail, Outlook, Google Safe Browsing, Meta, Amazon, the UK NCSC and the US FTC.
• Stop account hackers: a 15-minute security checklist for your social media3 min readA 15-minute checklist for Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram and Google: app-based 2FA, backup codes, the email behind it, sessions and phishing.
• Passkeys explained: what they are and how to set them up on Google, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook3 min readWhat a passkey is, why it can’t be phished, and how to set one up on Google, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook — plus the recovery options to keep before you rely on it.
• Online harassment: how to report it, and where to escalate when the platform ignores you4 min readHarassed on Instagram, TikTok or X? Document it, report it, switch on the safety tools, then escalate: eSafety, Report Harmful Content, the EU DSA — or the police.
• Disabled, suspended, restricted or locked: what your account notice really means3 min readWhat disabled, suspended, restricted, locked, banned, deactivated and memorialized mean on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and Google — and the first step for each.
• Account recovery scams: how to spot a fake recovery service5 min readFake “hackers”, Meta “insiders” and guaranteed unlocks: how recovery scams work, the red flags, what a real service looks like and what to do if you paid.
• Lost access to two-factor authentication: how to get back into your account3 min readNew phone, lost authenticator app, no backup codes? How to get past two-factor authentication on Instagram, Facebook and Google — and avoid future lockouts.
• Hacked account or online scam: where to report it, country by country4 min readOfficial places to report a hacked account or online scam in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, the UAE and more.
• Account suspended in the EU: your appeal rights under the Digital Services Act3 min readIf you live in the EU, the Digital Services Act gives you a statement of reasons, a free internal appeal and an independent dispute body. How to use them.
• Sextortion: what to do if someone threatens to share your intimate images4 min readBeing blackmailed with intimate images? Don’t pay, stop replying, keep the evidence, report it — and use the free Take It Down and StopNCII tools to block uploads.
• Hacked even with two-factor authentication on? How session hijacking and cookie-stealing malware work3 min readHow cookie-stealing malware lets attackers into your accounts without your password or 2FA code, the warning signs, and the clean-up order that locks them out.
• Hacker still reading your email? How to check Gmail and Outlook for forwarding, filters, rules and delegates3 min readA new password doesn’t remove a hacker’s forwarding address, inbox rules or delegates. Where to find and delete them in Gmail and Outlook.com, step by step.
• Third-party apps with access to your account: how to find and remove them on Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Instagram and X3 min readQuiz apps, “follower checkers” and old logins can keep access after a hack. Where to review and revoke connected apps on Google, Microsoft, Meta and X.
• Your email or password showed up in a data breach: what to do in the first hour3 min readA breach notice or a Password Checkup alert? Which passwords to change first, how to spot the follow-up phishing, and when to freeze your credit.
• Do you need a password manager? How to choose one and set it up safely3 min readWhy a password manager is the simplest fix for reused passwords, the free built-in options from Google and Apple, and the settings that keep the vault itself safe.
• AI voice cloning scams: how to spot a fake call from a family member or your boss — and what to do3 min readScammers clone a voice from a short clip and call for urgent money. What the FTC and FBI advise: hang up, call back on a known number and agree a family code word.
• QR code scams (“quishing”): how fake codes steal logins and payments — and what to do if you scanned one3 min readFake QR codes on parking meters, in emails and on letters lead to look-alike login and payment pages. How to check a code before you open it, and what to do after.
• Your hacked account is posting crypto or giveaway scams: what to do in the first hour3 min readFake crypto giveaways or “investment” stories posted from your account? Warn your followers, take the account back, remove the posts and report — in this order.
• Will an unused account be deleted? Inactivity rules for Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and X — and how to keep yours3 min readGoogle and Microsoft can delete accounts unused for 2 years, Yahoo after 18 months; X wants a login every 30 days. What counts as activity and how to keep access.
• Doxxed: how to get your home address, phone number and personal details taken down — and stay safe3 min readYour address or phone number posted to target you? Save evidence, report it under platform privacy rules, get it out of Google and know when to call the police.
• SIM swap: your phone lost service and accounts are being reset — what to do now3 min readPhone suddenly shows no service and accounts start resetting? Signs of a SIM swap, how to get your number back, secure your accounts and stop it happening again.
• Phone lost or stolen: what to do in the first hour to protect your accounts, money and messages5 min readLock it with Find My or Find Hub, suspend the line, then secure your email, bank and WhatsApp from another device. The order that matters, from Apple and Google.
• Is my phone hacked? The signs of spyware and stalkerware, how to check, and what to do safely4 min readBattery drain, data spikes or someone knowing your private messages can mean spyware. How to check iPhone and Android, when it’s the account, and staying safe.
• Romance scams and “pig butchering” crypto scams: the warning signs, and what to do if you have already sent money4 min readAn online partner you’ve never met asks for money or pushes a crypto “investment”? FTC and FBI warning signs, how to check a profile, what to do if you paid.
• Fake job and “task” scams on WhatsApp and Telegram: how they work, the warning signs and what to do if you paid4 min readPaid to like videos, then asked to deposit crypto to unlock your earnings? That’s a task scam. How it works, FTC figures, red flags and what to do if you paid.
• Someone is using my photos: how to find fake profiles with a reverse image search and get them taken down4 min readYour photos on a fake or catfish profile? Find every copy with Google Lens and TinEye, save the evidence and report it on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and more.
• Changing or losing your phone number: update your accounts first — or a stranger may receive your codes4 min readA new number can lock you out, and your old one goes to someone else. What to update first: email, Apple, Google, WhatsApp, bank and social media.
• Someone asked you to share a verification code: why it is always a scam, and what to do if you already sent it4 min read“I sent you a code by mistake” or a buyer who wants to “verify” you? Sharing a code hands over your WhatsApp, Google Voice or other account. What to do next.
• How to file a GDPR complaint against Meta, TikTok, Google or any company — and which data protection authority handles it4 min readCompany ignoring your GDPR request? Ask it first, then complain free to your data protection authority: who handles Meta, Google and TikTok, deadlines, the list.
• GDPR access request: how to get your data from Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or Google — even when you can’t log in5 min readLocked out, hacked or banned? Use your GDPR right of access to get your data, login history and IP addresses: the self-service tools, a request template, deadlines.

Efe Recovery Services is an independent service and is not affiliated with Google.