I lost my two-factor authentication program and can't access my account now - Microsoft Q&A (2024)

FAQs

What to do if you can't access two-factor authentication? ›

If you have your device but lost access because of a hard reset or deleted the authenticator app, you might be able to restore access through a backup. If none of these options work, contact the app's customer service and the customer service for the platform you want to log into.

On your mobile device, open Authenticator, and select Begin recovery. Important: Select the Begin recovery link before signing in. Sign in to your recovery account using the personal Microsoft account you used during the backup process. Your account credentials are recovered to the new device.

If it is a personal account and you backed up the authenticator app in the cloud, just call up the app on your new phone. If you don't have the back up and two-step verification is not enabled on the account, you can use the account recovery form and see if it helps. Provide as much information as you can.

Websites usually give a recovery code to you when you enable 2FA on your account. Use your recovery code to get access to your account. If you don't have a recovery code go to the site's support and ask them to disable two factor authentication on your account for you.

If you've lost access to your 2FA device, you can recover your account by using backup codes, alternative recovery options like a secondary email or phone number, or by contacting customer support. Be ready to confirm your identity by answering a few security questions or providing proof of ID.

Sign in with your Google account.

If you use Authenticator for 2-step verification to log in to your Google account but don't have access to Authenticator on your old device, you'll need to restore your Google account to get back in. To do this, go to https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery.

How to recover a Microsoft account without recovery code? ›

The recovery form is available at https://account.live.com/acsr. Collect as much information as you can about any Microsoft services you may have used with this account. The more information you can include when filling out the form, the better the chance you'll have of regaining access to your account.

One way to do this is to send a confirmation email to an alternate email address or phone number. You could also use a Microsoft account recovery code. If you had set up a backup account, you're on the safe side, and losing your phone should not be a problem.

If you can't access your Authenticator app, you can use alternative methods for logging into accounts. These may vary by platform, but here are some of the most common alternative verification methods: Text code: Entering a code sent via SMS is a common way to verify a user is legitimate.

Step 1: On the device you want to login to, enter your Instagram username and password like normal. Step 2: If asked for a Lost Google Authenticator code, tap “having issues?” or “need help”. Step 3: Choose the option to enter a backup code.

To set up Google Authenticator on your new phone without your old phone, simply install the app and then scan the QR code from your Google Account. If you have another phone with the app set up, you can also scan a QR code from that device.

Another option is to use virtual phone numbers provided by various online services. These virtual numbers can be used to receive SMS codes without using a physical phone. You can access these virtual phone numbers through apps or websites and receive SMS codes for verification purposes.

There are two ways to recovery lost authentication codes: * Use the QR code generated by doing an export. Obviously, this has to be done while one still has access to the old authenticator app. * Use the original site-specific QR codes to configure the new authenticator (assuming you saved them).