How to Recover Suspended Google Accounts Asking For Phone Numbers

title: How to Recover Suspended Google Accounts Asking For Phone Numbers
description: Recover a Google Workspace account stuck in a phone-number verification loop using backup codes.

Overview

If you keep seeing "This phone number has already been used too many times for verification", this guide is for you.

Note: This guide is for Google Workspace accounts where login is stuck in a phone number verification loop. If your account is fully suspended instead, your Workspace admin can reactivate it directly from the Admin Console under Directory → Users → select user → Reactivate.

These steps require Google Workspace admin access and will not work for free Gmail accounts.

Step 1: Open the Admin Console

Go to the Admin Console of your Google Workspace account: https://admin.google.com/.

Step 2: Go to the Organizational Unit

Click Directory → Organizational Unit.

Step 3: Create a test organizational unit

Step 4: Select the suspended account

Go to Users and select the suspended account.

Step 5: Change the organizational unit

Change the organizational unit to the test one you created.

Step 6: Turn 2-Step Verification on

Step 7: Generate backup codes

Once 2-Step Verification is turned on, click Generate Backup Codes.

Step 8: Select a backup code

Select any one backup code.

Step 9: Refresh and log in

1. Refresh your Admin Console once this step is completed.
2. Log in to the suspended account. This time it will not ask you for your phone number.
3. When prompted, enter your password and then enter the backup code.

Once the backup code is entered, you are good to go.

Step 10: Move the account back

You can change your organizational unit back to default:

1. Go to Directory → Users.
2. Select the previously suspended user.
3. Change the organizational unit from the test unit back to the default unit.

Updated on: 18/08/2026