Retaining access to email when traveling
We are traveling with our own laptop, and will be using wifi to connect to the internet.
Last year, we found that on arriving at our destination, we were locked out of our email accounts for some time. When logging in it told us that we logged in from an unexpected location, and the email provider simply refused to let us view our mails. We were able to access our mail after a day or so, but the situation was troublesome, because we needed email access to confirm some things.
What could we do while still at home to guarantee access to our personal email accounts later when arriving at our destination this year? In particular, how to retain access to the following two accounts:
- 1 hotmail/live account without 2fa
- 1 gmail account with 2fa
Best Answer
Presumably, adding 2-factor authentication on gmail will allow someone to log in, regardless of the location they accessed the email account from.
Gmail provides an option to enter a code sent by text (which could be a problem), enter a code generated with an offline application (e.g. Authy for mobile devices, WinAuth for Windows computers), or simply a (limited) list of printed codes.
According to this post, one can gain access to their hotmail account again with the following information:
Codes can be the date of birth, or receiving a code sent to your SMS number or alternate email if configured.
Since any alternate (hotmail) email will be locked too, this is not a viable option. You might not be able to use mobile data while abroad, making SMS not a viable option either. Using date of birth is scary, because this information is more or less public knowledge for most people.
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How do I access my emails from abroad?
There are three ways to access your email when travelling:How do I get emails when away from home?
If you have an e-mail account with Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail (now called Outlook.com), you can access your e-mail from any computer using a web browser. Access the Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo e-mail login page and login to access your e-mail online.How do I access my Outlook email from another country?
On the device you want to make a trusted device, go to the Security settings page and sign in to your Microsoft account. You'll be prompted to enter a security code. Choose whether to receive the code through email, text, or an authenticator app. Once you have the code, enter it in the text box.How do I stop Hotmail from blocking emails when abroad?
Blocking of hotmail when I'm abroad.Creating Traveling Emails
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Taryn Elliott, Mikhail Nilov, Ketut Subiyanto, Ketut Subiyanto