Any known recovery methods for Zoom account with GMail address?

[rmrichesjr]

Does anyone know of any recovery methods for a ward Zoom account tied to a GMail email address where nobody knows the password to sign in to GMail?

A bit more background:

• 1. As far as I am aware, the Zoom account was set up by the STS. Reportedly, he passed the information to someone in a previous bishopric, but we don't know who that was.
  2. We don't know whether the Zoom account in question was connected with the general Church-Zoom partnership.
  3. The email address that serves as the Zoom account's username is at gmail.com.
  4. Because nobody ever (except to receive a Zoom verification code) uses the email address for actual email, the password at GMail has been forgotten. (Yes, we already tried the same password as for the Zoom account.)
  5. So far, efforts to find out to whom the STS gave the GMail password have not yielded fruit.
  6. So far, efforts to find any recovery email address for the GMail account have not yielded fruit.
  7. Meeting broadcasting (to members specifically authorized by the bishop) continue using the Zoom app, but the current webinar series can be extended only via the Zoom website, not the app. (... and we're locked out of the Zoom website, because it requires a verification code sent to GMail.)

Are there any known methods to recover a GMail address for this type of situation?

Are there any known methods to recover access to a ward Zoom account and switch it to a different email address (for which efforts will be made to retain the email password)?

Worst case is we would have to abandon that GMail email address and Zoom account and create new accounts.

[russellhltn]

The email address that serves as the Zoom account's username is at gmail.com.

Just out of curiosity, does the email address contain a plus sign? Because the gmail login will be everything before the plus sign. And other wards may be sharing the same email address.

[lajackson]

2. We don't know whether the Zoom account in question was connected with the general Church-Zoom partnership.

The current STS should be able to determine this by looking at his stake listing at the page where Zoom accounts are requested and set up. If the account is not there, it may be easiest just to start over.

If the account is there, I suppose the STS who set up the account may be your best resource. When I set up the accounts in our stake, I used email to communicate account information to the bishops and another designated ward leader (usually the executive secretary). That STS may be able to go back into his emails and find something, if he is still in the picture. He may also have set up a recovery email address for the unit gmail account. I kept a record of all the accounts and passwords, both email and Zoom. I realize that I may be a odd duck in that regard.

A final more drastic solution would be to work with the Church to break the link to the current Zoom account and then set up another one.

[lajackson]

4. Because nobody ever (except to receive a Zoom verification code) uses the email address for actual email, the password at GMail has been forgotten. (Yes, we already tried the same password as for the Zoom account.)

Can the person who receives the email with the Zoom verification codes recover the Gmail password through Gmail?

[rmrichesjr]

Just out of curiosity, does the email address contain a plus sign? Because the gmail login will be everything before the plus sign. And other wards may be sharing the same email address.

No plus signs in the email address. Yes, appending a plus sign and and a suffix string is a handy way to multiply apparent email addresses based on one. That's not involved here, though.

[rmrichesjr]

Can the person who receives the email with the Zoom verification codes recover the Gmail password through Gmail?

As far as we know, there is nobody who can access the Gmail account to see the verification codes.

[brad_p]

I have some experience here.

Are there any known methods to recover a GMail address for this type of situation?

Google has a last ditch account recovery system, but it involves sending personal information like government ID to them and they do their best to validate and restore the account. If this was a ward account, then you likely are out of luck here.

Are there any known methods to recover access to a ward Zoom account and switch it to a different email address (for which efforts will be made to retain the email password)?

The church apparently has no mechanism to switch a Zoom account to a different email address. I went down this road last month. Here is a reply I got from church support when I pestered hard on this. In my case, I desired switching existing ward accounts from current/former bishops to stake managed ones: "Thank you for your patience, the following is what our Zoom manager has said: Honestly there really are only 2 options, 1: Go to each bishop and have them update the account next time they login, or 2: Delete the accounts in the portal, create new ones, and provide the new ones to the bishops."

Given that this was from the church's Zoom account manager saying they can't switch email addresses, I'm assuming you won't be able to either.

Worst case is we would have to abandon that GMail email address and Zoom account and create new accounts.

Yes, see prior reply. That was recommended in my case.

In the future, I'd recommend the following setup:

1) A stake STS email account which has some good resetting features (such as 10 one time codes, which can be stored somewhere safe).
2) An email account per ward/branch unit, which can be reset by the main stake STS email account.
3) A zoom account per ward/branch unit email address.
4) Distribute both the email and zoom ward/branch accounts and passwords liberally so wards can do their own 6 digit Zoom codes if needed without having to contact the STS. Since the STS retains ultimate control over the account, you can always fix it if someone does something nefarious.

[rmrichesjr]

For the aspect of Zoom verification codes via email, this topic has been split. This is the new thread: https://tech.churchofjesuschrist.org/fo ... 13#p232713