Your Google Apps Account, And The New Google Login

In the not so distant past, explaining how to login to Google Apps was a painfully tedious process.

If I wanted to login to the Google Apps account for this domain, "nitecruzr.net", I would construct a URL in the browser address window (or use a bookmark)

https://www.google.com/a/nitecruzr.net/ServiceLogin

The URL for your domain would be different - and explaining the difference was frequently a nuisance, in the login sequence instructions.

When explaining how to login to a recently created limited access Apps account, I would focus on the account reset process.

For this domain, "nitecruzr.net", I would access the account reset wizard as

http://google.com/a/cpanel/nitecruzr.net/ResetAdminPassword

or possibly

http://google.com/a/nitecruzr.net/ResetAdminPassword

Again, your URLs would differ. Maintaining separate bookmarks, for each different domain, was a time sink.

With the new Google Apps integrated account login, all of that has changed.

Any time you start a process which involves Google accounts, first clear cache, cookies and sessions (yes, all 3!), and restart the browser.

Since the Google Apps login uses a different Google account, you'll need to use two browsers - as you do when transferring control of your blog.

Use one browser for Blogger and other Google activity like GMail, and the second for the Google Apps session. For best results, first clear cache, cookies and sessions (yes, all 3!), and restart the second browser.

Next, to login to the limited access Google Apps account for this domain, you simply go to the standard Google login screen, using the second browser.

https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin

You then click on "Need help?". On the next screen, select "I don't know my password", and enter the limited access Google Apps account name, for your domain.

For my domain, if it had been purchased after November 2012, the default account name would be the limited access "bloggeradmin@nitecruzr.net". Yours will be "bloggeradmin@yourdomainURL" - whatever "yourdomainURL" actually is.

Domains purchased before December 2012 will apparently still use a Google Apps token sent in email or linked from Google Wallet.

Enter the appropriate account name, click "Continue", and follow instructions.


Click on "Need help?".

Select "I don't know my password".

Enter your limited access Google Apps account name.
After you submit the password reset request, Google will send a password reset email message, to the backup email account associated with the domain. The email account, for a new Apps account, should be the email account used by the Blogger account, under which you purchased the domain.

The only problem which you can have is if the necessary email account can't be accessed.

• Being overly secretive, and basing the Blogger account on a bogus or inactive email address.
• Having the Blogger / Google account deleted for abusive practice.
• Never bothering to remember the email account and password.

In either case, without access to the right email account, you won't be able to reset the Google Apps account password - and you won't be able to gain / regain access to your Google Apps domain administrator account, aka the "Admin Console", for the domain in question.

Other than that one possible problem, it should be a straightforward process.

1. Access the new Google Login screen.
2. Click on "Need help?".
3. Request password reset.
4. Access the right email account.
5. Open, and execute the password reset email.

Once you're in the Admin Console, you can check / set the auto renewal option setting, or you can retrieve the login instructions to access the registrar's zone editor - or do whatever else you need to do.

If you're logging into Apps for a second time, and you remember the account name and password, it's simpler still. Access the new Google Login screen, enter the domain administrator account name and password, and login. Now, Google Apps is just one more Google application - but with its own unique account name.


If you remember the domain admin account name and password from last time, just login - and you're there.

Again, always open Google Apps in a second browser.

Other than the need to use a second browser, logging into Google Apps is now a series of bookmarks and simple scripts.

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In some cases, you may not be able to use the limited account reset sequence. Don't panic! Google also provides an administrative account reset process, for these situations!

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