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Set up 2FA on my email last month and locked myself out for 3 days
The authenticator app synced to my old phone which I had already wiped, and the backup codes were in a note on the same account. I ended up calling my provider from a library in Denver to prove who I was. Anyone know a backup method that doesn't depend on the thing you're locking?
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wood.uma3d ago
Disagree that backup codes in a note on the same account is the problem here, because the real issue is that every recovery path lived inside the thing you were locked out of. Write the backup codes on a piece of paper and stick it in a drawer, or better yet hand a copy to someone you trust who doesn't share your accounts. Also add a second factor that doesn't need a phone at all, like a hardware key you keep on your keychain, since that can't get wiped when you upgrade. The email provider route works but it took you 3 days and a trip to a library, which is way too much work for something as simple as getting back into your own mail.
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