Lost your phone? How to recover your 2FA accounts

Losing the phone that holds your authenticator app feels like losing the keys to everything. The good news: if you prepared even a little, recovery is straightforward.

If you saved backup codes

Every service shows you backup codes when you enable 2FA. Each one works once in place of an authenticator code. Use one to sign in, then re-add the account to your new device.

If you didn't save backup codes

You'll need to go through the service's account-recovery process. This usually means verifying your identity by email or a secondary method. Each service is different — our per-service pages link straight to the official recovery docs, for example Google, Coinbase, or GitHub.

Prepare so it never happens

• Save your backup codes somewhere safe when you turn on 2FA.
• Keep a second device with the same accounts added, if the service allows it.
• Write down which accounts have 2FA enabled.

Ready to secure a new account the right way? Browse setup guides →