Google users rely on their Gmail accounts for lots of things. Most users have put in many years in their individual accounts. That is why they cannot imagine losing all the information stored in their Google accounts. Imagine opening your Google account only to realize that you cannot access you personal information. Chances are, you would be devastated and try all you can to retrieve all your lost data.

This is the reason why you should consider learn about Google backup codes and how they can help prevent loss of important data. It is always a good idea to have a backup of all your Google data. In as much as Google outages are rare, there are no guarantees that your data will never be lost. Here is a look at some of your Google backup options.

Methods of backing up your Google data

1. Third party software: There are dozens of options available. You can use readily available 3^rd party email clients to download and back up all your emails in your computer. Good examples are Thunderbird and Microsoft Exchange. This option is, however, not suitable if you want to backup AU data.
2. External storage: These types of backup options include CDs, DVD, External Hard Disks etc. You can copy all your data as backup. If you have many files to backup, you might want to consider large storage options
3. Cloud: This is where you backup all your Google data using a remote cloud service. It is the most reliable of all backup options.

The basics involving backup codes

You can get backup codes via SMS, Voice Call or Google authenticator. These codes are first presented to you in the 2 step verification process. If you are not able to for whatever reason, you can still sign in your account using those backup codes. You will find them in your Google account’s overview page.

Google backup codes come in ten sets and you have the option of generating new ones whenever you want. However, when you set new codes, the ones that were previously set will be inactive. Moreover, when you sign up with a backup code, it automatically becomes inactive i.e. you cannot use it again. Even so, it is advisable that you store your code after using it for future reference.