With over 150 million active users, Discord has become a vital communication platform for many communities. Like all online accounts, securing your Discord profile is critical to prevent losing access and control.
If you can no longer access the email associated with your Discord account, it can feel like catastrophe strikes. But even in this scenario, there are methods to regain entry by proving account ownership to Discord.
This step-by-step guide will explain:
- Common reasons email access is lost
- Discord‘s account recovery options
- Using backup verification methods
- Communicating with Discord Support
- Extra security to enable for your account
- Tips to avoid losing email access again
Why You May Lose Email Access
There are a few common reasons why someone may no longer be able to access the email associated with their Discord account:
- Forgotten email password: If you forget the password to the email used for Discord and have no way to reset it, this cuts off access.
- Email provider shutdown: If the email provider shuts down or closes your account, your address ceases to exist.
- Hacked or deleted email: A compromised email can be deleted or changed by hackers to steal your Discord.
How Hackers Target Discord Accounts
Hackers have become increasingly sophisticated in hijacking popular online accounts through methods like:
- Phishing: Luring users to fake login pages masked as the real Discord website in order to steal credentials.
- Brute forcing: Guessing weak login passwords through automated rapid attempts until gaining entry.
- Malware keyloggers: Recording everything typed on your device, including passwords, to forward to hackers.
Once they access and control your Discord account, hackers can delete or change the registered email to lock you out. According to cybersecurity firm Armorblox, Discord account hijackings increased over 640% from 2020 to 2021.
| Year | Reported Discord Account Hijackings |
| 2020 | 1,328 |
| 2021 | 10,019 |
As one of the top messaging apps globally, Discord holds highly valuable communities and personal data. Losing access puts users at immense risk of permanent damages.
Discord‘s Account Recovery Process
Even without access to your registered email, Discord provides account recovery options. This is done by communicating directly with Discord‘s Support team and providing information to confirm you own the account.
Behind the scenes, here is how Discord‘s automated systems handle account recovery:
- Submission analysis: Scans the request details for markers and flags of suspicious activity from hackers. Compares against known account data.
- Identity verification: Checks provided info like location history, phone number, billing details against existing records.
- Confirmation request: Opens inquiry for additional proof documents from the user if automated systems cannot confirm.
- Account restoration: Recovers access after legitimate ownership is validated. Sends notifications once complete.
For the end user, regaining access involves:
- Submitting an account recovery request
- Providing details on the account and ownership proofs
- Using backup verification options like phone if available
- Waiting for confirmation from Discord‘s team
- Regaining access to your account
The main component is proving legitimate ownership to Discord Support‘s satisfaction…