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We had some surprises overseas this year, not encountered in the past. Security "upgrades" keep coming. We now travel without a SIM card and rely on WiFi calling so there's no way to get verification texts and not every account has an email option. Could not access Experian to check an alert. And - most frustratingly - could not buy an Audible book through Amazon. Amazon was great; they spent about a half hour on the phone troubleshooting various options but in the end - no text (for a verification), no book.
I'm not tech savvy (in the least) so I'm not sure what impact the overseas location and phone might have had on your issue. Never had a problem accessing Gmail, Yahoo, or Aol using an iPhone and its mail app. Did you try to directly sign on to your e-mail provider on the web to pick-up the e-mails there? That's always my fallback when there are occasional problems here at home with the computer mail app. It would not be ideal since you'd have to keep signing in with no notification of incoming e-mails but at least it's a way to access the email content.
Yes, I tried every way to access my email. "Problem with your account" every time. DH had no trouble with his Gmail or yahoo.
I could not access Amazon, my CCs, or my library either as everything is tied to this frozen email.
A friend suggested re-setting the phone from scratch---anyone done that?
Has this happened to anyone? It is a Microsoft account, and I was not able to access it from my smart phone while traveling overseas. The "solution" page had authentication either by text (our phones are foreign so number is not recognized) or email ---LOL, the email was frozen! Alternatively, I could answer a bunch of "challenge" questions, but they were absurd. Like the last 4 email subject lines I sent and to who. Last payment to Skype and the date! Skype is on my home laptop so no way to know that.
After agonizing manipulations, I got those answers but was still refused.
I used this same phone last year overseas with no trouble.
And how in the world can I prepare for this in advance without leaving the country to see if it happens again?
I have my alerts sent to email, so this was scary for 2 whole months. (we had husband's email but still)
Your account wasn't frozen it just didn't recognize the device so it wouldn't let you in without an authentication code. More and more or doing this, especially when access is from a foreign country. You could setup a secondary email account that doesn't use authentication methods or use secondary authentication with questions you know. You need to then go into your Microsoft account and enter that email address as one to send a code to. I believe AOL may allow access without authentication. Also, since you husband's email worked you could enter that as a secondary authentication.
Another method would be to use your US cell phone in a wifi area and then access using the mail app. Since it should recognize the device it may let you in and thus you can get the code for your overseas phone. Same would go for using a tablet that you always use at home. This would be the best way then after accessing it go in and set trust the device. See https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...3-d48baadc85a2
There is an idiotically simple solution to all this foolishness. Just give each subscriber the option of choosing high- or low-security protocol, and you choose low at your own risk.
I could care less, if the whole world can read my e-mail, there is nothing in my mailbox that could compromise anything.
So you kept a U.S. number even living in the Philippines? How does that work? I had to call the international number of the credit cards (to pay them) on a hotel phone. The format for entering phone numbers in credit card accounts does not recognize a foreign number, so I have to lie and enter a defunct U.S. #
Could not receive the authentication code through another email account (DH's).
Skype number, Google Voice, whatever makes you happy. With Skype, and probably other VOIP services, you can choose the country and area of your number. Want a number your friends in Ottuma, IA can call locally? Easy.
I could care less, if the whole world can read my e-mail, there is nothing in my mailbox that could compromise anything.
I want to call this out as very wrong for 99% of folks.
- your real name
- your postal address / location
- the names of your friends and family in your address book
- bill reminders from your bank or credit card or utilities with acct numbers and pre-fab'ed login URLs
- that one-time-passcode to access that bank acct
all that crap is in your all-in-one-every-acct-inbox so
email is VERY high-security needs. at least gmail is end-to-end https, and device registration/recognition aware.
I go to great lengths to separate my real life banking from my email, insofar as to DENY having an email address with my bank (that worked for 5 years) (finally had to setup a single-purpose email address with NO LINK or INFORMATION TO ANYTHING ELSE). You want to steal my money, you hafta try and do it the old fashion way, with a gun.
Yeah we use Google Voice as our permanent USA number, can call USA numbers for free while overseas and also receive texts for bank login authorization without cell phone service since wifi. This also works for using Uber in other countries when no local SIM, can use Uber if have wifi at starting point of journey (hotels, malls, airports, cafes, etc. usually have wifi these days) and since Google Voice will receive texts from driver before pickup.
I want to call this out as very wrong for 99% of folks.
- your real name
- your postal address / location
- the names of your friends and family in your address book
- bill reminders from your bank or credit card or utilities with acct numbers and pre-fab'ed login URLs
- that one-time-passcode to access that bank acct
all that crap is in your all-in-one-every-acct-inbox so
email is VERY high-security needs. at least gmail is end-to-end https, and device registration/recognition aware.
I go to great lengths to separate my real life banking from my email, insofar as to DENY having an email address with my bank (that worked for 5 years) (finally had to setup a single-purpose email address with NO LINK or INFORMATION TO ANYTHING ELSE). You want to steal my money, you hafta try and do it the old fashion way, with a gun.
I personally would feel comfortable with, and opt for, the same level of security that was in place 20 years ago. Namely , a password. None of that personal information is in my e-mail account, by the way, and all my facebook friends are available to anyone with one conspicuous click. None of my account numbers ever appear in my emailed reminders.
There's a million-to-one chance I'd be victimized with 1999 security, and I have a couple hundred bucks exposure, and no state secrets at all. Mod cut.
Last edited by PJSaturn; 07-15-2019 at 08:47 PM..
Reason: Rude, off-topic comment.
I have had Gmail want to send me verification texts when I have logged into it sometimes in other countries. Being that it isn't my mail email account, it wouldn't have been a problem even I hadn't been able to get those verification texts and put the requested codes in order to login.
I just pony up $30 (per month) for AT&T Passport while traveling. I get to keep my US phone # but I never use the voice phone. You get unlimited texts from any country and 120 MB of data, which I never got close to using up even though I was out of the country for 25 days last time. So anybody calling or texting you from the US, it looks to them like you're still in the US because your US number works fine regardless of what country you are in. I never had problem with email. But because I still had the same SIM in the phone, it would not know anything was different anyway.
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