How to Recover a Hacked Email Account
Email is often the master key to your other accounts, which makes recovering it quickly a priority. Here's how.
Use the official account-recovery flow
Every major provider has a dedicated 'account was hacked' recovery process. Search for your provider's official recovery page directly rather than clicking a link from an email or text.
Check for signs of compromise once you're back in
Look for unfamiliar recovery email addresses or phone numbers, mail forwarding rules you didn't set up, and login activity from unfamiliar locations or devices.
Lock it down
Change your password to something unique, remove any suspicious recovery methods or forwarding rules, and enable two-factor authentication using an app or security key rather than SMS if possible.
Check what the attacker could access
If your email was compromised, assume any account that uses it for password resets may also be at risk. Review and secure your bank, social media, and other important accounts.
Key takeaway
Recover through the official flow, check for signs of tampering, then lock the account down with strong 2FA before assuming you're safe.