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Locked out of 14 year old YouTube channel because tied to Hotmail.com email

23 points by Gengar ↗ HN
I have a 14 year old YouTube channel that was linked to a Google account but it uses a Hotmail Address. I know the password but it keeps asking for 2FA phone number, I made the account years ago so obviously I don't have the number or even know what that number is! Without number it says open another device with that account, I don't have have one since its 14 years old!

I only lost access recently, I thought this YouTube was tied to actual my Gmail but it turns out I was only brand manager and I lost access when trying to merge them. Ironic this all happened because I actually wanted to give them money for YouTube Premium and now losing my channel of 14 years makes me not want to use the platform at all. Is my account lost forever since Google offer zero support?

21 comments

[ 3.8 ms ] story [ 58.1 ms ] thread
blueappconfig
hotmail accounts are still accessable by logging in using Outlook, in case you didn't know
Gengar
This is a Google account with a hotmail email address and I know the password. The actual hotmail account itself can't help me in this instance.
amelius
> and now losing my channel of 14 years makes me not want to use the platform at all.

That solves your problem then.

FrostKiwi
> since Google offer zero support?

For non-partners, they effectively offer zero support. However, their support team on Twitter [1] is very active and helped me out in a pinch when I struck due to a fauly content bot on the (non-google) imgur.com influencing a YouTube content check and leading to community strike on YouTube[2], which support didn't want to do anything about.

[1] https://x.com/TeamYouTube [2] https://x.com/FrostKiwiOne/status/1704737522449035634

ClassyJacket
Can you not unlock the hotmail account by providing ID to Microsoft??
Gengar
The actual hotmail email was hacked years ago but doesn't matter in this case, I have a Google account that uses a hotmail email address and I know the password.
TekMol 

    I made the account years ago so obviously
    I don't have the number or even know what
    that number is
Can you elaborate? How is that obvious?
poglet
Enforcing MFA or registering with phone numbers wasn't required on email accounts back in the day.
TMWNN
Irrelevant. Gengar obviously registered a phone number at some point. It's one thing to ask for help, but another for him to be outraged over something that was and in his control.
LightHugger
No, you don't understand. Associating a phone number with google didn't used to be a MFA/verification decision, back when the web was more sane. Now, google considers it the most vital form of authentication. So it's completely possible to have added a phone number back when it wasn't used as a security tool, and then google arbitrarily decides to make it a security tool without their consent. That is not the user's fault or in their control.
weikju
> That is not the user's fault or in their control.

What about the part about forgetting which number it is? Maybe I'm just biased, having had the same number for the last 15 years? I know I had a few numbers when I was living in other countries and those are still written somewhere but of course no longer accessible or under my control.

Still though.... well I'm on both sides of this lol

Muromec
I used to have the same number for 10 years, but then I moved to a different country, so now some of my 2FA is tied to that old number and changing it requires physical travel to regulated institution.
TMWNN
>So it's completely possible to have added a phone number back when it wasn't used as a security tool, and then google arbitrarily decides to make it a security tool without their consent.

I had not considered that; thank you.

Gengar
I made this account 14 years ago when I was a teenager. I didn't even know my YouTube was tied to this Hotmail Google Account until the past week or that it even existed.
poglet
Sorry to hear about this issue, I hope you can get your account back.

If anyone has any old accounts with services that support MFA, enable MFA. You can get locked out with no way of getting back in.

Here is a similar issue where you could get locked out of Apple accounts if you didn't have MFA: https://www.reddit.com/r/applehelp/comments/bl7cis/how_to_fi...

demeanor
2FA is the source of all evil
dusted
I know the tinfoilhats won't like this, but it should be a human right to have some kind of guaranteed access to an email account, something where, if you lose access, you can show up at an authority and identify yourself to have access restored.

It's absolutely insane that we're at the mercy of the likes of google for what is de-facto a requirement for life. Paying for it at something like proton-mail does not change the fact that you've got pretty much no legal right to get your access restored in a timely fashion.

This is vital infrastructure, and it should be offered and run by the state. I'm fine with people opting not to use it, I'd be fine with people paying extra for it over tag. But damn I hate the current situation.

vmfunction
And how did email become the defacto verification method. 2FA like TOTP/Security Key should be. It can be used offline and no connections to shady corporations.
ams92
For many people SMS or emails with tokens are already pushing their technological capabilities. Might even go as far to say most people.
Eddy_Viscosity2
This would only work if you used your real name to open the email account in the first place. I doubt I could show up to a microsoft office and say "No really, this in my email account, I know my ID doesn't say Luke Skywalker, its just I thought it would be a super cool name to go with lightsaber843@hotmail.com.
TMWNN
>I made the account years ago so obviously I don't have the number or even know what that number is!

Why is it "obvious" that you don't have/know the number? My Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, and Yahoo accounts are all much older than that, and long ago I made sure to add multiple access and recovery options.

I hope you regain access. But consider this a learning moment, as opposed to wringing your hands over something you claim is out of your control.