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What to do if your email has been hacked, according to a tech expert
A compromised inbox puts your personal data at risk – our experts explain how to regain access to your messages and files
With over a decade of experience at Which?, Tom covers everything from tech advice to money-saving tips, and highlights the best deals during major sales events.
Conor built his first computer over 20 years ago, and uses his extensive tech expertise to help Which? Tech members avoid scams, fix issues and protect their data
If you suspect a hacker has accessed your email inbox, you need to act immediately and change your password as soon as possible.
With access to your emails, a hacker could potentially take over your other online accounts by requesting password resets and intercepting the recovery links. They might also use your inbox to impersonate you, tricking your contacts into sending money or sharing personal data.
Below, we explain how to recover your Gmail, Outlook or iCloud Mail inbox. Even if you're not currently dealing with a security threat, it's still worth reading through our walkthrough to make sure you're prepared.
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How do I get my email account back?
'I've just received some phone calls from my friends and family notifying me that they have received an email from my Gmail account asking for a gift card.
'It looks like my email address has been hacked – what can I do?'
Which? Tech Support member
How to recover your inbox
Recover the account and change the password
Assuming you can still access your account, it’s best to change your password immediately to a strong, unique one that hasn’t been used elsewhere.
- In Gmail: Select your user icon (top right-hand corner), then Manage your Google Account. Choose Security and sign-in > Password.
- In Outlook: Select your user icon (top right-hand corner), then My Microsoft account. Go to Security and choose Change password.
- For Apple accounts on Mac: Select the Apple menu > System Settings, then click your name. Select Sign-In & Security > Change Password.
If the hacker has changed your password, you'll need to go through your provider's account recovery process. Select Forgot password when attempting to sign in, then follow the instructions to verify your identity.
Once your identity has been verified, you can set a new password.
Check your recovery details
While you’re in your account’s security settings, review your recovery email address and phone number. Hackers sometimes add their own contact details so they can regain access later. Remove any details you don’t recognise and make sure your listed recovery options are correct and up to date.
What makes a strong password?
When setting a password for your online accounts, avoid anything that's easy to guess, including personal information such as names or birthdays.
Consider combining three random words to create a strong, memorable password. Alternatively, use a password manager to generate and store strong passwords for you. Make sure you use a unique password for every account, so one compromised password can't be used to access others.
For more tips, including using password managers, see our full guide on how to create secure passwords.
Log out of all other devices
Not all email services offer this feature, but popular providers such as Google, Microsoft and Apple do.
In your account’s security settings, you’ll find an option to view devices currently logged into your account. If you don’t recognise a device or location, you can select it and sign it out.
- In Gmail: Select your user icon (top right-hand corner), then Manage your Google Account. Choose Security and sign-in > Your devices > Manage all devices. Select any device or session you don't recognise, then choose Sign out.
- In Outlook: Select your user icon (top right-hand corner), then My Microsoft account. Select Devices and remove any you don't recognise.
- For Apple accounts on Mac: Open System Settings and click your Apple ID. Scroll to the bottom to see a list of all devices connected to your Apple ID. If you see a device you don’t recognise or want to remove, click Remove from Account
Check your auto-forward settings
When hackers gain access to an email account, they often enable auto-forwarding so they can continue receiving your messages even after you recover the account and change the password. This setting is easy to overlook and could allow hackers to maintain access to sensitive emails, leaving you vulnerable to further attacks.
To check for auto-forwarding, go to your email account settings and look for the forwarding or auto-forward option.
- In Gmail: Select Settings > See all settings. Choose Forwarding and POP/IMAP and then select Delete any forwarding setup. Remember to select Save Changes.
- In Outlook: Go to Settings > Email > Forwarding and IMAP. If you see any forwarding set up, click Disable forwarding and then select Save.
- In iCloud Mail: Click the gear icon, then choose Settings. Select Mail Forwarding. If forwarding is enabled and you don’t recognise the address, uncheck 'Forward my email to' or remove the address. Optionally, uncheck 'Delete messages after forwarding' if it's selected.
Examine your inbox filters
Hackers might set up filters or rules to automatically move, delete or forward certain emails. This could hide security alerts or other messages that might reveal suspicious activity on your account.
Within your account settings, look for filters or rules and delete any you don't recognise.
- In Gmail: Select Settings > See all settings. Under Filters and blocked addresses, check carefully for any unknown or new ones and choose Delete.
- In Outlook: Go to Settings > Email > Rules. Review the list and delete any rules you did not create yourself.
- In iCloud Mail: Click the gear icon, then Settings. Go to the Rules tab and review each rule — if you find one you didn’t create or don’t recognise, click the trash icon to remove it.
We've heard from Which? Tech members struggling to stop unwanted messages clogging up their inboxes, but there's a fix – discover how to block spam emails for good.
Notify your contacts
While they had access, the hacker might have used your account to send phishing emails or copied your contact list for later use.
With this in mind, it’s best to let your contacts know that your account has been compromised. This can help prevent the spread of phishing attacks.
A good antivirus will prevent you from falling for phishing attacks – see the best antivirus.
Look over your other accounts
Any other online accounts that share the same or a similar password to the one the hacker used to gain access should be changed.
It is crucial to use completely unique passwords for each online account to prevent a domino effect, where one breach leads to the compromise of multiple accounts. The hacker may also have accessed other accounts by using your email for verification. It’s recommended to change the passwords for any accounts containing sensitive data.
Lock up the data you share online and think before you post – see 7 ways to secure your social media and email accounts.
How to prevent your email from getting hacked again
- Use a unique, strong password for each and every account. Consider a password manager.
- Enable two-step verification in your email account settings. (See also: What is two-factor authentication?)
- Use an authenticator app if supported by your account.
- Keep your account recovery options up to date.
- Regularly review your account activity, such as logged-in devices.
- Be careful when using public wi-fi to access your accounts. (See also: How to keep your data safe when using public wi-fi)
- Keep your PC apps updated, as updates are used to patch security vulnerabilities.
Scammers desperate to make a quick profit are tricking unsuspecting users into calling fake support numbers. Read our advice on how to stop scam pop-ups on Windows.
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