Losing Your Phone With Your Authenticator on It
Your phone is lost, stolen or broken, and your authenticator app and passkeys were on it. How to get back into your accounts, secure them, and set things up so it cannot lock you out again.
Your phone is gone: lost in a taxi, stolen, or dead in a puddle. It held your authenticator app, your passkeys and your text codes. Suddenly the security that protected your accounts is keeping you out of them too. Here is how to get back in, and how to make sure it does not happen again.
If the phone was stolen: secure it first
- Lock or erase it remotely using your phone's "find my device" service from another device. See find my device.
- Call your mobile network to block the SIM, so nobody can receive your text codes.
- Call your bank and mobile money provider to secure accounts accessible from the phone.
- Change your email password from another device.
Our guide on protecting your accounts after a lost or stolen phone has a full checklist.
Getting back into your accounts
1. Try synced options
- Authenticator backup: install the same authenticator app on a new phone and sign in. If sync or backup was on, codes may be restored.
- Synced passkeys: sign in to your phone's cloud account or password manager on the new device. Passkeys often come back with it.
2. Use backup codes
If you saved backup codes, use one for each important account, then set up two-step verification again on the new phone. See backup codes.
3. Use another method
Many accounts let you choose "try another way": a second device, a security key, or a recovery email or phone.
4. Use official account recovery
If nothing else works, use each service's official recovery process, starting with your email. Answer as fully as you can, from a device and location you have used before. See recovering an email account.
Beware of "recovery services" that offer to get you back in for a fee. Only use official recovery routes. See official recovery vs fake recovery services.
Prevent it next time
- Turn on backup or sync in your authenticator app.
- Save backup codes for key accounts on paper at home.
- Register a second method, such as a passkey on your computer or a security key.
- Keep recovery details up to date on your email.
- Move everything before resetting or selling an old phone. See changing phones safely.
Got a message saying your lost phone was found? These are often scams to get your cloud password. Paste it into CyberWatch AI Scan for a free check.
For more, read our guide on how to protect your accounts.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get my authenticator codes back?
If your authenticator app had backup or sync turned on, restoring it on a new phone may bring the codes back. If not, use backup codes or each service's recovery process.
What if I have no backup codes?
Use each service's official account recovery process. It may take longer and ask you questions to prove it is you. Start with your email.
Should I worry the thief can get into my accounts?
If the phone was locked with a strong PIN, the risk is lower, but act quickly: lock or erase it remotely, block the SIM, and change important passwords.
Sources
- Sign in with backup codes, Google Account Help
- Lost or Stolen Credit, ATM, and Debit Cards, US Federal Trade Commission
- Recovering a hacked account, UK National Cyber Security Centre
