How to access a lost Google Developer Console project

Question

>>>> BACKGROUND ON THE ISSUE <<<<

We were using Google Apps for Business when we started with the project. This allowed us to use the Google Developer Console (https://console.developers.google.com/) with our @company.co.za accounts and also to “login with Google” using our @company.co.za accounts. It turns out that the Google Developer Project (where the API keys are) was created using an ex-colleague's @company.co.za Google account.

When we moved from Google Apps for Business to Office 365, we lost the ability to login to the Google Developer Console with our @copany.co.za accounts. By then the colleague wasn’t working here anymore and I guess it all happened so quickly that we didn’t make sure to tie up all the loose ends.

Now we need to transfer development of the app and subsequently all related 3rd party projects and things, to the client for future development, but I cannot access the Google project.

This will require them to create a project on their side, generate new API keys for using the Google Maps API etc. And then update the apps (Android and iOS) with the new API keys.

>>>>> THIS IS MY QUESTION <<<<<

However, and this is where my question comes in, the apps are still working and happily accessing Google Maps. This makes me think that the project must still be somewhere.

I tried to access the Google Help pages, but because we're on a Bronze package, we can only find support information in their developer communities and online documentation listed here:

• Join a Community
• Service Disruption Notification
• Best Practice Guides

But I thought to ask here too because SO is very reliable with answers :)

So, any idea if the project is still live somewhere? Or should we just create a new project with new API keys?

Answer 1

I don't think this is a stackoverflow question since it's not directly programming related. However, if you want to regain access to you project, this should be fairly simple and i hope this helps:

1. Create a new Google Apps for Business account with your domain (or maybe your old apps domain still exists?) and a single account. If you choose monthly payment the costs will be only a few bucks.
2. As the Google Apps domain administrator you should be able to access all appengine projects that belong to users of the same domain. If it doesn't you can contact Google support to reassign the projects. Alternatively: You may be able to recreate an account that owned the app. If you don't know the owner email, it is shown in the consent screent for oauth. With that email, try to access the project.
3. Create a Gmail account and transfer project ownership to this Gmail account
4. Delete the Google apps domain to avoid additional costs

All this is doable within an hour.

In case it doesn't work i would suggest you contact your Google sales representative or reseller and tell him, that you would like to purchase silver level support, but only if he can restore the permissions for you. This will cost you more, but if you have to access the project it may be the only way.

Last but not least:

You can contact Google support. You don't need silver level support for that. It will just take a lot longer to process your request. While in contact with the Google support you will have to prove that you are in fact the owner of the domain, which is usually done by adding a TXT record to your domain or uploading a file to your web server, so make sure you have access to your domain's DNS zone files / settings or web server document root.