I Lost My Phone With My Second Factor for Authentication. How Do I Recover?

[@askleonotenboom]

Proving you’re you without your second factor can be... interesting.

[@magmasunburst9331]

In my 31 years of doing professional computer work, some at the programmer level, I have to say the way the Google Authenticator back-up is handled is the worst public service fiasco I've seen. But one learns not to complain too much but just learn to adapt.

[@askleonotenboom]

Switch to Authy. :-)

[@NickCassimon]

This video is a live saver. Two days ago my phone died and I got a new one. I looked in your channel and found this video. This video showed me the way. Love your channel. It is like a tech shop for all our problems. Thanks again. Keep doing what you are doing please.

[@vcoona]

Great explanation and warning. Add t this, in my case I was traveling abroad without my laptop, and lost my phone. Google locked me out, kept sending the authenticating codes to my lost phone, and I could not access of any of google accounts until I at the least ha access to my phone number - which was not possible unless I returned home and got a new SIM. I even ran out of money, in a foreign country, as I could not receive the 2FA OTP SMS and the bank manager refused to accept email instructions as I was sending emails from a non registered (non gmail) email address. Now, once you set up 2FA, google doe snot even allow you to answer security questions that you had set up before you setup 2FA on the account. This is not disclosed any where where when you sign up for 2FA. Bottom line, if you are traveling abroad, better plan on carrying multiple devices that have been registered with Google. This is a HUGE INCONVENIENCE google has created for us.

[@DaddyGoodstick]

dAMNNNNN....u talked all day and did not solve the problem...you just said to use AUTHY....geeeezzzz

[@sshadyh]

SERIOUSLY, i used authy and broke my old phone and im fucked

[@portman8909]

Pen and paper is the best form of backup.

[@askleonotenboom]

Until you lose the paper in a fire or flood or something else.

[@gjoseph1628]

@@askleonotenboom Person can lose the piece of paper; person lose the phone; person can have phone which dies. Safest place to keep information is in ones head, but then remembering can sometimes be difficult.

[@yanrunze08]

because people lost phone all the time but they never lose paper.

[@siraha4837]

@@gjoseph1628 thats the dumbest way.

[@gjoseph1628]

@@siraha4837 That depends on how good is the person's memory, or possibly how good his secret system is for helping to remembr username and passwords. Even for these, keeping information in the head is not always so dumb. Up to 20 different combinations should be no problem.

[@antoniolewis1016]

Oh my gosh that sounds freakishly nightmarish. Thankfully replacing the phone can be a solution if the 2 factor authenticator is just related to the phone.

[@blade2k]

the only issue with this is google does not force you to make recovery codes and its a option. plus most teenagers never set these up as they do not know much about MFA

[@BobbyPhoenix]

I use Google's authenticator also. But like you mentioned I also have multiple two factor authentication methods set up on my accounts. But the best thing I learned to do since Google's authenticator app allows you to export your accounts is rely on Google authenticator by having it on more than one device. So the current phone I'm using has it, but so do my other two recent phones. So if one phone dies I have all my codes on two other ones.

[@chimakalu4641]

You are wrong. Google would require them all if you run into a problem.

[@BobbyPhoenix]

@@chimakalu4641 Huh? Google would require what on all of them? I'm just saying that you can get a QR code from one phone with your codes, and put them on as many phones as you want. They all sync with the same code numbers, so if something happens to one phone, you still have the codes on other phones as backups. I have my same codes on four phones. I've been doing it for years. (since Google allowed transfers)

[@stevemoody6928]

The SMS on the new phone thing does not work if you have a Google Fi Pixel. In order to get through the setup of the phone Google wants you to sign in using 2FA through an SMS to the phone that isn't set up yet. It gets you stuck into a loop

[@cradleofrelaxation6473]

Thanks Sir Leo. For some people, Google Auth can be more of a problem than a solution. I lost a phone with Google Auth. I didn’t use Authy, no any other alternative authentication. How do I recover it?

[@askleonotenboom]

Using recovery codes you set up when you set up the 2FA. Then you remove the 2FA, and set it up again on the replacement phone. I'd also screenshot the QR code and save that somewhere safe so you can set up a new 2FA device at any time.

[@cradleofrelaxation6473]

@@askleonotenboom Thanks 🙏 I didn’t keep record of those so I guess my access Is denied forever. I now know to keep record of those information. As you rightly said, “Do it before you need it‼️”

[@Angeliccooke]

Im locked out on my phone and my home computer and both are locked out. My code generator wont even pop up. I have my phone and my computer and have the authenticator but it wont work. Im devastated.....

[@MrFirsito]

some people hate Authy (due privacy concerns, closed source, etc) but the app works and you can set it up on multiple devices like you said on the video.... and thats all i need google authenticator is great as well, you can scan your qr code from multiple devices and make it work

[@stopbegging4likes]

No this shit doesnt work

[@MrFirsito]

@@stopbegging4likes literally has been working for years, for millions of people all over the world... its not privaty and its not perfect, but it works

[@Super-360]

yep authy is way better especially once you install on 3 devices like a tablet, phone, laptop then just turn off multi-device in authy and it syncs all your totp and you now have a trusted circle of devices. When you want to add a new device just get a device you have authy signed in on click on allow multi-device sign in on new device then turn it off again very simple. Multi device can be left on but it's best to turn it off if your not adding new devices. Even if you left multi-device on and someone stole your sim to download all your totp codes they would be encrypted with your master password still. So turning off multi-device just makes you that much more secure.

[@mitchlu]

We should all have foresight like you. I guess I have some homework to do.

[@bgfoamable]

Get to the point. I don't care what happened to your phone.

[@reefhound9902]

The easier it is for YOU to recover, the easier it is for a hacker to get in. Your security is only as strong as it's weakest link.

[@denniswells4001]

I lost my phone an can't get a code for my new phone an have no other previous log in no where else please help

[@punkcatslyrics]

Did you get help...I'm in your situation now

[@budihart]

same

[@TheodoreDamron-l7y]

Same here. There has GOT TO BE a way to get our stuff back!!!

[@kunaljain9002]

plzz guide me what steps should i follow to recover it

[@amitmoorthy]

Can you do a video on Microsoft authenticator

[@GadgeteerZA]

Cross-Device sync is an absolute requirement for me for 2FA - if some don't like Authy (they're not Big Tech really) there is 2FAS and Bitwarden.

[@askleonotenboom]

I've become somewhat enamored with the 2FA generator being built into 1Password as well.

[@Epictetus888]

@@askleonotenboom Great video, I just read this comment and I've been thinking about using a password manager, my concern is, what if someone gains access to your master password? are there failsafe's to this? Cheers.

[@askleonotenboom]

@@Epictetus888 Yup: two-factor authentication. Most password managers now support it for your master password.

[@Epictetus888]

@@askleonotenboom ❤ Brilliant. thank you.

[@Marra54277]

Another option is to use Keepass for your password manager login credentials. The app works on Android & Windows. Not Apple, but saving the password manager to the Apple password manager works. I use Microsoft Authenticator for the 2F codes. Never have any problems. Works on all my devices.

[@ladymay27]

I thought this was suppose to tell us how to authenticate? Instead you just told us what we missed and you should change the title of this, it's very deceiving. I thought you had a trick for me to get into my authenticator or google account when I don't have my phone.

[@rackinfrackinvarmint]

Here's a scenario I can't wrap my mind around. My house burns down with my phone, computer, laptop, my wife's phone, wife's laptop. How do I log back into Google? - I go to get a new phone from my service provider, ok, that works, same phone number. - my Google password is too complicated remember, so I can't even trigger the 2FA - all my devices have gone up in flames with my house - how do I log back into Google!? Do I have to have an easy to remember password for my google account? Since it has 2FA, it shouldn't matter if the password is easy to remember? What's the solution to a burned down house?

[@askleonotenboom]

You follow the process outlined in the article. FWIW if you had a cloud-based password manager you would still have your Google password.

[@veronicaortiz4127]

Is Authy and app for Iphones...how i found it at the Apple Store?

[@askleonotenboom]

Search the store for "authy"

[@dcking1yt614]

Any official live chat or services of Microsoft authenticater

[@askleonotenboom]

@@dcking1yt614 If that's a question: no, I know of no live chat or support for free Microsoft accounts.

[@ianyorke2617]

What about Microsoft Authenticator app? Thoughts?

[@askleonotenboom]

Same scenario as outlined in the video.

[@__--JY-Moe--__]

U don't! the devil call's U, then picks U up!!rip!

[@charlesorgan106]

how do you get your existing google authenticator 2fa codes on the same phone after reinstalling the app and it says you have no codes

[@askleonotenboom]

With the old Google Authenticator app you cannot. You need to disable 2FA in the account, re-enable it, and re-sync the Google Authenticator. With the new Google Authenticator, or Authy, you can simply log into your account and the backed-up 2FA codes will be restored.

[@survivormary1126]

I had it on a windows 7 64 bit /running windows 10 laptop. It died and I tried to upload the app to windows 7 32 bit laptop, and all I get is a clear box that says authy at the top. I tried writing them and got no answer back. Any ideas as I tried deleting and reinstalling it also and get the same thing.

[@survivormary1126]

@Dorcas Pin Screw you spammer.

[@blue-fj9ky]

One of my most important logins is for my government job. They require Google Authenticator or email. I assume one can't set that up for Authy, unfortunately.

[@askleonotenboom]

Authy is Google Authenticator compatible, so I don't see why not.

[@blue-fj9ky]

@@askleonotenboom I'll try it. Thanks for the reply and for an interesting channel!

[@reefhound9902]

There's nothing proprietary about Google Authenticator. It's just an algorithm that you input current time and a seed value and returns codes. Any number of authenticator apps will yield the same numbers if you input the seed (that's the QR code you get when you set up 2FA). I was testing auth apps awhile back and had six apps all generating my codes.

[@reddawn5297]

This happened to me. Couldn’t get into PayPal. PayPal finally helped after several calls.

[@dcking1yt614]

Bro could you tell any services or method how I can recover my codes please am In trouble because I have many accounts login but I change my device and I lost my all codes how I can recover them?

[@reddawn5297]

@@dcking1yt614 I don't know. PayPal helped me get back in to mine. That was the only site I had 2fa on at the time.

[@reddawn5297]

@@dcking1yt614 What sites are you missing your 2fa codes on?

[@gjoseph1628]

Do any or some online accounts allow the user to set up more than one choice for two-factor authentication, so that if you lose one form, you can choose to use the other form of two-fact. authentication?

[@askleonotenboom]

Yes. I believe I have something like 6 set up with my Google account.

[@robertw.]

Can you show us how to use Authy? And also, what happens if you lose your phone in a foreign country? You can't just go to a store and get a new phone and use the same number as before. You are no longer in the US, you may be on the other side of the world and you can't get a phone with the same phone number. What do you do then? Please let me know. Thank you very much!

[@jerryg50]

I would run out and get another phone ASAP just to have the SMS service. With some web services it is possible to have more than one mobile phone number. I own and use two cell phones. If you make a portable device such as a laptop or a phone to be trusted, it better have a strong password.

[@vcoona]

This works if your phone dies and you have access to your SIM. But not if you lose your phone with your SIM.

[@Max-bv9t]

All cybersecurity experts agree that SMS-based 2FA is the most dangerous and easy to bypass. Don't use SMS.

[@askleonotenboom]

And yet, a) it's not being bypassed that often, and b) it's MUCH better than no 2FA at all.

[@reefhound9902]

The thousands of cybersecurity engineers employed by financial institutions disagree. None of the self-anointed internet "experts" can provide hard numbers to show that it is actually happening. Banks have the hard numbers and know exactly how often accounts are compromised through SIM swaps and don't consider it an urgent problem. SMS and hardware keys are the only two methods that fit the model "something you have". It's why people are so inconveniently "locked out" when they lose that "something". Security is inconvenient.

[@Max-bv9t]

@@reefhound9902 So if you use an application to generate codes installed on your phone, in your opinion you are not fulfilling the principle of "something you have" and something you know"? Interesting line of reasoning, very interesting.

[@Anonymous_programmer1]

3:55 continue

[@GgfdfgggsgZ]

I didn’t need it for my discord account

[@terrymurtagh8814]

I have Google 2 factor on my ph & on my tablet.

[@fantasypro6158]

Too long story, could make it short. Just to have a long video you made it. informational part is just 2-3min -

[@pjdn]

All this guy talks about is not having his phone LMAO!

[@askleonotenboom]

Imagine ... that's the very topic of the video. Not sure what makes it so funny.

[@bilabilaa1088]

You just making people angry

[@molove5687]

seems like this guy talks so much about his phone rather get to the task at hand alot of waisted conversation

[@HangingWithDan]

This is why you need a backup phone with a copy of your 2FA on it at home

[@MrFirsito]

at least one copy on some vm or emulator, well hidden and protected

[@reefhound9902]

You could screenshot the QR codes when you set up 2FA, store them encrypted in the cloud, then recreate your authenticator app at any time.

[@eprohoda]

brother.wow~ cool - see u around!

[@yibeyibe389]

Native english speaker youtuber's are usually Lengthy & Wordy. I like to the point KZbinrs!

[@reefhound9902]

I like the Settings icon that let's me set playback speed to 1.25x or 1.5x to give the slow speakers a virtual dose of adderall.

[@thesculptorschisel]

Talk talk talk talk

[@askleonotenboom]

your point?

[@anglonig1]

The point is people just want simple basic information on how to recover their 2fa.@@askleonotenboom

[@chimakalu4641]

My Google 2Factor are email and my mobile phone. I replace it with another sim, and somehow I lost it. I am travelling. Story short, when I try to log in, my Google password is correct, email 2factor recovery code recieved, but all that means nothing to Google. Despite writing them for at least 10x, they would still send a 2factor recovery code to my missing telephone sim/number. That is mean. Google Play is no longer working (I use andriod). I cannot download newapps, not even whatsapp or my bank app. Any app available at Google Play is blocked and that is almost every app out there. I cannot contact important friends and I lose money. I am so frustrated. They said Google would ask several questions to determine if I am the same person, but I found no link. Is this the future of our lives? One mistake Robots call Google would destroy your life. I cannot prove that I am myself. No customer service available. No one cares.

[@kctcreditunion7959]

Hello 👋 I did everything but when it got to the authentication for all my apps that uses Google authenticator before I lost my old phone is asking for a 2FA code, I have done it over and over again no luck .But all thanks to PRESTINCODDING that tech guy really came through for me and I now have acess to my 2FA and my account.

[@liamjohnson3247]

I can help you

[@kunaljain9002]

hello sir my self kunal from india I had an 2fa for my coindcx account 3 weeks before my phone was all not working properly so i had to erase it due to which my whole phone got wiped out its data with the authenticator codes of the coindcx account nd now i am not able to login into my account please i request u to help me out with the issue

[@sammyichuga591]

Hey, did you get a way out?

[@kunaljain9002]

@@sammyichuga591 not yet

[@MrHYPER-ox8yd]

Did it solve?

[@kunaljain9002]

Finally my issue is being fixed by helping team after sending them couple of emails

[@dcking1yt614]

Bro could you tell any services or method how I can recover my codes please am In trouble because I have many accounts login but I change my device and I lost my all codes how I can recover them?