Ask HN: How to recover Google auth after phone stolen?

A person reports losing their phone and consequently being locked out of multiple accounts that rely on Google authentication or phone-based two-factor authentication. Automated account-recovery flows require access to the old device, a current phone, or an old email address - none of which are available in this case because the phone was stolen and the older email account’s password was forgotten. That loss blocks access to critical services including banking, email, and cloud storage, and the person finds Google’s automated system offers no clear human-assisted escalation path.

The person asks whether an appeal process exists to bypass or recover 2FA protections, whether others have experience regaining access after a stolen phone, and whether any “secret” options allow signing in with only a password as in the past. The complaint highlights the broader risk of society’s dependence on phone-based 2FA and seeks practical steps or insider knowledge for restoring accounts when standard recovery options are unusable.