Two Factor Authentication which has prevented so many accounts from being unauthorized accessed and hacked, it does this by securing your account with code in addition to your password. This security feature works in a way that you can’t get in your account without accessing another security code sent by the feature.

But this could be a heck of a problem in cases like when you lose or reset your phone, you could inevitably lost access to your account if you don’t take these proactive steps I’m going to be listing out below this paragraph.

Here’s what you need to do to prevent you been locked out of your account in the future.

1. Print Your Backup Codes, Secretly & Securely Store Them

This is a very important thing to do, two Factor Authentication accounts comes with a “backup code”, this is obtained during the time of signing up, make sure you print them out or copy them to a safe and easy to retrieve location, this unique code allows you to regain access to your account if you ever lose your two-factor authentication token in the future. If you haven’t done this do it now you still have access to your account.

For some account like Google account, these backup codes only work once each, ensuring that anyone who intercepts the code can’t log into your account with it afterwards. If you run out of codes, be sure to generate some more. You can print backup codes for your Google account from the two-step verification settings page. If you’ve set up two-factor authentication for any other websites, sign into your account on the website and look for information about backup codes under your two-factor authentication settings.

2. Use Authy App To Back Up Your Two-Factor Authentication Data

Authy app is unarguably better when speaking of two-factor authentication among others like Google Authentication or SMS. This app allows you to sync your two-factor tokens between your devices. You can easily move your data to it when you get a new phone. Or you could share the data between a phone and tablet. Authy app is compatible with Google Authenticator and works anywhere you can use Google Authenticator.

Despite these sync features, Authy is still secure, as long as you use it properly. It can back up your authenticator’s data online which is also encrypted with a password you provide to prevent unauthorized access them. You can also enable or disable the multi-device sync feature, so you could just toggle that on whenever you want to add a new device and disable it afterwards. But that backup feature could help get you out if trouble if you ever lose access to your authentication details.

3. Ensure Your Phone Number And Email Address Are Linked Properly

Virtually all accounts sign up forms especially those that supports two-step authentication allows users to provide their phone numbers and email address, so that recovery codes can be sent via text or voice call to the phone number and recovery codes or verification links to email address. This is always required in cases where you forget your login details or for security checks.

Be sure to confirm the phone number and emails you have linked to your accounts. If an account doesn’t have your current number, you can’t use that phone number to regain access. If you get a new phone number, be sure to update in the account, most at times an email address cannot be changed in an account especially after verification, so be sure you provide an email you will always have access to and link all accounts appropriately so you won’t get locked out whenever in the future.

Even services that provide backup codes will allow you to link a phone number and emails address, ensuring there are plenty of different ways you can gain access to your locked account, if you ever need to. As with backup codes, you’ll find this options in the account’s two-step authentication page. For example, for a Microsoft account, this option is available on the account’s Security settings page.

4. Check Your Personal Information And Keep All Details Safe

Sometimes you may be asked to confirm the answers to any security questions you previously set up, recite the birthday as it appears on your account, or confirm any other personal information the service has, it’s ideal for you to always keep all information details safe. If you gave a service wrong information because you just didn’t want to share your real personal details at the time, you may want to go back and correct it.

In conclusion, always have a backup plan when using two-factor authentication on any account. If you skip printing out backup codes please kindly backup your two-factor authentication data using Authy or any other available platform. Ensure all accounts and personal information are safe!

http://www.techsphere.com.ng/two-factor-authentication-do-these-not-to-get-locked-out/

Cc;
Lalasticlala
Senu

hello OP

my phone fell inside a dirty water and as it is, its not likely to power on. how do i access my authy? tried redownloading and d app is telling me i have to disable the command i instructed whuch is that i dont want multi download(which means i only want d app on my fone which got spoilt) i have some vital informations in which i need to acces via authy. how do i do this? im so sad right now