Lesson 8 of 12 · About 4 minutes
Keep a way back into your account
Learn the concept.
Losing a phone should not mean losing every way into your account. Plan a protected recovery route while you still have access.
A way back in
Watch Leo use a protected recovery code when his phone is unavailable.
Optional. Captions are shown in the video. Use full screen for a closer look. Illustrative screens; your service may look different.
Read the transcript and visual description
Leo: My phone’s gone. How do I get back in?
Sam: Use a recovery code you stored somewhere safe.
Leo: One code, one use. Keep the rest private.
On screen: The sign-in screen offers a recovery code. Leo retrieves his protected backup, uses one masked code, and marks that code used. The remaining codes stay private.
Animated characters with synthetic voices.
Plan for the missing device
Follow the decision from the situation to the result.
- Prepare
Set up the service’s recovery option while signed in.
- Protect
Keep a reachable backup separate from the failure you are planning for.
- Recover
Use the official process, then review your sign-in methods.
Read the visualWhich recovery plan avoids depending entirely on the phone you might lose?
The backup needs to remain reachable when the normal route fails, while still being protected from other people.
Prepare before you need it
If a service offers recovery or backup codes, create them through its real account settings. They often replace an unavailable second factor, not the account password. Follow that service’s instructions.
Protect the fallback
Store codes somewhere you can reach if your usual device is gone, such as a protected printed copy. Avoid keeping the only copy behind the account you are trying to recover. Treat recovery material as a secret.
Use it, then review it
Google’s backup codes are single use; creating a new set invalidates its old set. Other services may work differently. After recovery, review your sign-in methods and replace exposed recovery material. Never send a code to someone offering to help.
Put it in context
Leo loses his phone during a trip. His only screenshot of his recovery codes is on that phone. A safer plan would have left a protected recovery method available elsewhere. Sam can help him find the provider’s official recovery page without ever receiving his codes.
Make a decision.
Use what you just learned. A correct answer lets you save this lesson to your progress.
Take this with you.
Prepare a protected recovery method before you lose access. Keep recovery codes private.
Next lesson: Sign a lost device out of your account