Products · Product
Google accounts
Raised as a usability problem by 510 people on Hacker News over 19 years (2008–2026), in 378 threads.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads this year.
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- 9Constantly switching between accountsUnreviewed
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Every issue, all time, most people first
Locked out despite correct password; recovery questions impossible to answerUnreviewed
20082026- Locked out of account stuck in verification loop emailing a nonexistent address, no human support2026-03-03
- Recovery code and recovery email still fail, locking the user out despite proving ownership2026-02-06
- Locked accounts can't log in without adding a phone number, despite correct credentials and code2025-10-24
Locked out after losing 2FA device with no human supportUnreviewed
20082026- Locked out after 2FA turned on; recovery code sent to old phone, no way to reach support2026-05-11
- Locked out without 2FA or password-verified login, with no way to get support2025-07-31
- Moving 2FA accounts to a new phone forces saving every code or disabling and re-enabling 2FA2024-12-20
Sign-in popups cannot easily be found and turned offUnreviewed
20082026- Sign-in popups must be dismissed before reading; users click OK just to close them2026-03-20
- Forced sign-in popovers appear on many sites and can't be turned off in Vivaldi2025-10-03
- Full-screen sign-in popup appears on every visit and blocks browsing2025-07-29
Account setup forces a phone number with no skip optionUnreviewed
20082026- Creating a Google account forces users to give up identity, phone number required2026-10-14
- Locked out of existing account until a phone number is supplied, with no appeal2026-10-14
- Support keeps repeating the same phone verification steps for a lost number, with no working alternative2024-06-20
Hard to maintain more than one Google accountUnreviewed
20082026- Can't sign into one Google app without linking the whole phone to the account2022-01-24
- Can't create a separate account for one app without being tied to Google+ and Gmail2015-07-27
- Hard to sign out of one Gmail account and into another, accounts stay linked2015-02-13
Constantly switching between accountsUnreviewed
20082026- No way to set a default account, so it always opens the first-logged-in account and requires switching2023-03-06
- Switching between accounts is inconsistent and drops settings unexpectedly2022-03-29
- Switching between personal and business accounts is a nightmare, randomly changing accounts and repeatedly asking for passwords2022-01-19
Transferring codes to a new phone is manual with no backupUnreviewed
20082026- Restore instructions require signing in, which a locked-out user cannot do2026-09-03
- Users get locked out because codes can't be exported or backed up2023-10-17
- Can't screenshot or back up codes; must rely on another phone to transfer after reset2023-04-24
Separate username and password pages double sign-in timeUnreviewed
20082026- Login forces separate steps for username and password, adding extra steps2026-04-13
- Sign-in button placed where users click by accident, and the prompt is often slow to load2025-07-29
- New login page feels heavier and slower to use than the old one2024-03-15
Logging into another account keeps returning to the firstUnreviewed
20082026- Opening dev tools logs user out of all accounts; wrong account becomes primary with no easy way to change2026-02-12
- Cannot choose a default account or reorder logins; must log all accounts out to change order2023-03-21
- Login button silently creates secondary accounts, so users think their accounts were wiped2021-06-28
Authenticator app setup requires enabling insecure SMS 2FA firstUnreviewed
20082026- Can't enable authenticator-app MFA without first registering a phone number2022-11-21
- Forced to add a phone number for SMS 2FA despite an authenticator app already configured2022-10-07
- Authenticator app option only available after first enabling SMS verification2022-08-10
Cannot find out why account is locked; appeals rarely allowedUnreviewed
20082026- Appeal form is hidden; no guidance on how to appeal, no response received2024-05-21
- Ban appeals are auto-rejected and banned users can't reach billing to cancel2023-01-30
- Could never reach a human to resolve suspended account; appeals went nowhere2022-03-14
Phone prompt must be dismissed repeatedly to reach TOTP code entryUnreviewed
20082026- Must repeatedly dismiss phone prompt to reach TOTP code entry, every sign-in2024-03-30
- TOTP login made so burdensome it has to be re-done every morning2023-05-11
- Login hides the TOTP code option until the user fails repeatedly and clicks another way2023-01-19
Privacy settings so tangled users cannot trust their choicesUnreviewed
20082026- Privacy settings are a maze, so the user can't trust they set them correctly2023-11-24
- Too many tracking options to go through, so most people never turn them off2018-03-28
- Privacy opt-out options are buried in menus and hard to locate2018-01-19
Cannot reach a human to resolve a banned accountUnreviewed
20082026- Impossible to reach a human to resolve a banned account2026-02-23
- Users can't reach humans with power to resolve banned accounts2023-06-11
- Couldn't find any way to learn why or dispute account suspension2022-03-31
Logging out needs extra clicks and gives no sign still signed inUnreviewed
20082026- Logging out doesn't really sign out; sites keep prompting the child's account2022-10-06
- Logging out needs multiple extra clicks and gives no sign you're still signed in2019-02-01
- Credentials stay visible after signing out, with no way to turn it off2018-09-26
Signing into one product logs into all others automaticallyUnreviewed
20082026- Signing into one Google product automatically logs you into all others, making the ecosystem confusing2025-06-26
- After logging in with Google, sites immediately demand name, phone number, or email verification2025-01-08
- Sign-in flashes through several Google products, signing in to each before arriving2023-06-23
Users try to unmerge logged-in accounts and delete oneUnreviewed
20082026- Merging accounts required lots of manual effort from each user to recover their data2017-08-03
- Accounts auto-merged and linked together, user can't tell how to untangle them safely2016-08-31
- Users think accounts were merged after checking stay signed in, and the sign-out is hard to find2013-06-03
Hardware 2FA blocks app passwords, breaking IMAP email syncUnreviewed
20082026- Must create 2FA and many tokens or passwords just to read mail2023-09-04
- Enabling hardware 2FA blocks app passwords, breaking IMAP email mirroring2020-11-22
- App-specific passwords are a pain and randomly stop working for IMAP mail2012-08-07
Unclear which account to sign into after YouTube mergeUnreviewed
20082026- Confusing which account is active; must pick the old YouTube account each time2015-07-27
- User can't figure out how to undo the merged YouTube and G+ accounts or disable YouTube2013-11-17
- Cannot disable YouTube association separately; accounts forced to link, painful to unwind2013-11-17
Phone number required before enabling TOTP two-factorUnreviewed
20082026- Signup implies a phone number is required before TOTP can be used2024-09-07
- Making TOTP 2FA setup difficult without providing a phone number or installing an app2023-02-28
- Keeps pushing SMS-style 2FA prompts, needing three extra clicks to accept TOTP code2022-06-27
Signing into Android enrolls device in two-step verification with no opt-outUnreviewed
20082026- Signing into Android automatically enrolls the device for two-step verification with no way to stop it2024-01-19
- Creating a new account for one device needed extra verification steps including SMS2020-12-10
- Signing in on a new device or city requires extra verification and often fails outright2018-11-01
Stuck in a login loop, repeatedly prompted to log inUnreviewed
20082026- Gets stuck in a login loop, repeatedly prompted to log in2026-07-30
- Sign-in gets stuck in an endless loop that clearing cache or rebooting doesn't fix2020-11-02
- Gets stuck in a login/redirect loop when using secondary accounts2017-03-23
Sign-in blocked when travelling or on borrowed devicesUnreviewed
20082026- Losing the phone traps you in verification prompts with no fallback when travelling2026-09-19
- Sends verification to an old phone you never agreed to use, blocking access2022-10-07
- Sign-in blocked when travelling or on borrowed devices, forcing phone verification to unblock2018-11-01
Pop-ups placed so users accidentally click account linkingUnreviewed
20082026- One accidental click on a sign-in prompt links the site to the Google account2026-03-20
- Multiple Google accounts make the pop-up big; user fears picking the wrong account2024-08-13
- Pop-ups are designed so users accidentally click the account-linking option2013-11-17
Switching between Apps and Gmail accounts needs incognito to stay logged inUnreviewed
20082026- Signs out of email unless using incognito windows; confusing account switching2014-08-13
- Forces people with several accounts to mingle or use incognito sessions2013-11-17
- Switching between Apps and Gmail accounts is horrific, forcing incognito sessions to stay logged into both2011-10-20
Unclear what the security key options mean and how to sign inUnreviewed
20082026- Two-factor options hidden behind confusingly named 'Try another way' and 'Use Google Authenticator' links2023-01-19
- Must register a phone number first and the option labelled only as Google Authenticator2021-05-08
- Confusing security key options; unclear what 'Google' key means and how to sign in2021-05-07
Steps silently created a Google+ account without making that clearUnreviewed
20082026- Users are tricked into opting in to Google+ and can't switch to the new identity system without it2014-03-20
- Prompts for extra info hide a G+ signup the user nearly agreed to unknowingly2013-11-16
- After creating Gmail account, no clear confirmation and no way to skip Google+ signup2013-08-21
Cannot verify popup URL to confirm login form is Google'sUnreviewed
20082026- Tiny Google login window pops up on unrelated sites, blocking the content being read2023-05-17
- Shows a Google login popover to users who are already logged in2022-12-22
- Can't verify the popup's URL, so users can't tell whether the login form is really Google's2013-02-25
Dark patterns push users to add phone number and credit cardUnreviewed
20082026- Pushes users into adding a phone number through dark patterns2022-05-03
- Signup prompt uses a dark pattern to push people into creating an account2019-01-16
- Account flow uses dark patterns to push users into adding phone number and credit card2016-10-21
Users must remember which account they signed up withUnreviewed
20082026- Must click through extra prompts to reach the right account among many signed-in accounts2020-04-30
- Must remember sign-in order and enter the matching number to pick the account2017-03-01
- Users must remember which of several accounts they signed up with2014-07-02
Duplicate accounts force guessing which login holds dataUnreviewed
20082026- Must guess which Google account a service is linked to, wrong guesses create empty dummy accounts2021-02-23
- Users are forced or tricked by dark patterns into linking accounts across services2019-10-14
- Services split across duplicate accounts, forcing guesses about which login holds needed data2011-09-21
Sign-up forces a QR code scan with a phoneUnreviewed
20082026- Sign-up forces QR code scans and reverse SMS verification, hard for privacy-minded users2026-10-14
- Sign-up forces a QR code scan with a phone, hard to complete without one2025-07-28
- Scanning a second QR code silently overwrites an existing account with the same name2013-09-04
False 'too many attempts' OTP error locks users outUnreviewed
20082026- Locked out of account by false 'too many attempts' OTP error with no way to recover2026-08-24
- Must cancel security key prompt, get error, then manually pick OTP every login2023-05-19
- Phone number linked to account offered no OTP option to reset password2021-12-03
Cannot log into Google Account on Docs or YouTube outside searchUnreviewed
20082026- Can't sign in to a school Google account on Android; login blocked despite correct password2022-09-16
- Careless logon to Google sites can get account revoked or suspended2022-04-18
- Couldn't log into Google Account on sites other than search, like Docs or YouTube2011-09-25
App-specific password takes about seven clicks and confusing pagesUnreviewed
20082026- Application-specific password generation takes too long to navigate to; can't rename passwords2013-03-22
- Application-specific passwords are confusing to understand and hard to type on mobile2012-08-07
- Creating an app-specific password takes about seven clicks and confusing pages2012-06-28
Forced Google login confuses users who don't know what an account isUnreviewed
20082026- Google changed its login flow to something users aren't familiar with, causing confusion2023-07-14
- Forced Google login confuses users who don't know what a Google Account is2010-09-28
- Personal and domain Google accounts are confusingly separate, with different passwords and URLs2010-02-12
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 50 complaints
- Can't move TOTP keys to a new device, must set up each device separately2026-10-15
- Email directs users to phone settings, but the ad setting only appears on the web2026-10-15
- Locked out of existing account until a phone number is supplied, with no appeal2026-10-14
- Sign-up forces QR code scans and reverse SMS verification, hard for privacy-minded users2026-10-14
- Creating a Google account forces users to give up identity, phone number required2026-10-14
- Adding a new address alias for each service is a painful, fiddly process2026-10-05
- Losing the phone traps you in verification prompts with no fallback when travelling2026-09-19
- Locked out because Google insists on a passkey or Android phone user no longer has2026-09-18
- Exporting a single TOTP code requires hoops, and users must look up tutorials2026-09-18
- Access randomly denied because the system misjudges legitimate logins as account theft2026-09-17
- Recovery attempts loop through captchas and dead-end messages, with no clear way to regain sign-in2026-09-17
- Restore instructions require signing in, which a locked-out user cannot do2026-09-03
- Locked out of account by false 'too many attempts' OTP error with no way to recover2026-08-24
- Gets stuck in a login loop, repeatedly prompted to log in2026-07-30
- Login triggers several verification hoops after a network change, blocking a legitimate user2026-07-23
- Phone number rejected as used too often, blocking registration and login with no explanation2026-05-11
- Locked out after 2FA turned on; recovery code sent to old phone, no way to reach support2026-05-11
- OTP codes never arrive and rate limit locks out retries after one attempt2026-05-06
- Login forces separate steps for username and password, adding extra steps2026-04-13
- One accidental click on a sign-in prompt links the site to the Google account2026-03-20
- Sign-in popups must be dismissed before reading; users click OK just to close them2026-03-20
- Locked out of account stuck in verification loop emailing a nonexistent address, no human support2026-03-03
- Impossible to reach a human to resolve a banned account2026-02-23
- Verification demands full bank account number on statement, which the bank redacts2026-02-21
- Opening dev tools logs user out of all accounts; wrong account becomes primary with no easy way to change2026-02-12
- Recovery code and recovery email still fail, locking the user out despite proving ownership2026-02-06
- Custom keyboard lacks some password characters and blocks pasting or keychain autofill2025-11-26
- Card reader was hard to use; the engineer couldn't insert the card correctly, and no documentation on restarting the service2025-10-26
- Locked accounts can't log in without adding a phone number, despite correct credentials and code2025-10-24
- Forced sign-in popovers appear on many sites and can't be turned off in Vivaldi2025-10-03
- Took about three hours to set up a supervised child account2025-09-24
- Dark-pattern prompts trick people into giving data consent and keep pushing until they submit2025-09-19
- One click uploads keys to the cloud with no confirmation and no obvious way to undo2025-09-16
- Locked out of an old account on a new computer despite having the password and recovery email2025-08-18
- Locked out without 2FA or password-verified login, with no way to get support2025-07-31
- Sign-in flow is tedious to work around2025-07-30
- Sign-in pop-ups appear on page load instead of only after user clicks login2025-07-29
- Sign-in button placed where users click by accident, and the prompt is often slow to load2025-07-29
- Full-screen sign-in popup appears on every visit and blocks browsing2025-07-29
- Users are pushed into choices by dark patterns instead of informed decisions2025-07-29
- Prompt is so easy to tap accidentally, sharing identity with untrusted sites2025-07-29
- Banners appear in Firefox and Safari with no way to turn them off2025-07-28
- Nearly fullscreen sign-in popup reappears on every visit, must be dismissed each time2025-07-28
- Sign-in popups appear and users can't easily find how to turn them off2025-07-28
- Sign-up forces a QR code scan with a phone, hard to complete without one2025-07-28
- Can't copy TOTP keys, and unclear when accounts get backed up2025-07-26
- Signing into one Google product automatically logs you into all others, making the ecosystem confusing2025-06-26
- Gets booted from shared Google Doc and must sign back in repeatedly2025-06-12
- Filter box has a noticeable delay before the keyboard appears, and the filter clears when switching apps2025-05-15
- Popup keeps reappearing and user cannot disable it despite trying2025-03-09