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| Access your account if you lose the two-factor authentication app |
Strong online protection is a must. The best way to do this is to use a two-factor authentication app that allows you to access your account by generating a one-time code. But what if you lose the phone that has the app, or if it gets damaged or stolen.
Account access if the two-factor authentication app is lost
If you can no longer access the smartphone with the authentication app installed. Access to your account depends on whether you're still signed in to the account you need to sign in to on another device.
In this case, all you have to do is open the account settings and reset the authentication. This means that the account will be re-linked to the app using the new phone.
If you're signed in to one of the company's apps (such as the YouTube app), this option usually applies to your Google account.
Sometimes some services will display the key or QR code in settings. In this case, simply enter the key or scan the QR code into the authenticator app on the new device.
How to recover an account without using an authenticator
If you haven't signed in anywhere else and you've lost your smartphone with a two-factor authentication app, your phone has either been reset to factory settings or has been stolen. If the above methods do not work, you will not be able to restore the authentication.
You can perform an operation to regain access to your account. However, it does require linking your account to your email address or phone number. In this case, you can easily restore access using a different authentication method.
Please enter your username and password to log in to your account. If you ask the service to enter a one-time passcode from the authentication app, click the "Try another method" link or a similar phrase.
Then select the option to receive a verification code to set a password via email, SMS or voice call.
If the lack of two-factor authentication is preventing access to your account, please contact your support team and explain what happened. If this is the case, you may be asked to provide official documents proving that you are the true owner of the account.
When you are finally able to log into your account, pair it with the two-factor authentication app on your new smartphone. So, next time you lose your phone, you don't have to repeat everything, just create a backup right away.