Save Backup Codes So You're Never Locked Out
Generate and safely store two-factor authentication backup codes for your Apple ID or Google account before you lose your phone.
3 min read · 5 steps · Checked July 2026
Step 1. For Apple ID: find your recovery options
On an iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name at the top, then "Sign-In & Security." Here you'll find both "Account Recovery Contact" (a trusted person who can help you regain access) and the option to view your recovery key.
Step 2. Set up an Apple Recovery Contact
Tap "Account Recovery Contact" and choose a trusted family member or friend who also has an iPhone. If you ever lose access to your Apple ID, they can generate a recovery code for you from their own device, without ever seeing your password.
Quick Tip
Choose someone who lives nearby or who you talk to often — you'll need to be in contact with them, at least by phone, when recovery is actually needed.
Step 3. For Google: generate backup codes
On a computer, go to myaccount.google.com, select "Security," then "2-Step Verification." Scroll to "Backup codes" and select "Get backup codes." Google generates 10 codes, each usable once.
Step 4. Print or write down the codes — don't leave them on screen
Print the list or write it by hand, then store it somewhere secure like a locked drawer or with other important documents — not saved as a photo on the same phone you're protecting against losing.
Warning
Treat backup codes like spare keys to your house: anyone who finds them can get into your account, so don't leave them somewhere easily found, like taped to your computer monitor.
Step 5. Regenerate codes if you run low
Each Google backup code works only once. When you're down to your last couple, go back to the same 2-Step Verification page and generate a fresh set — the old ones are automatically invalidated.
Two-factor authentication (sending a code to your phone when you sign in) is one of the best ways to keep your accounts safe. But it creates a new risk: if you lose your phone, break it, or upgrade to a new one before transferring everything correctly, you can find yourself locked out of your own Apple ID or Google account with no way to receive the code. Backup codes solve this. They're a set of one-time-use codes you generate in advance and store somewhere safe (printed on paper, or in a password manager) that let you sign in even without your phone.
Most people never think about backup codes until the moment they're locked out — at which point account recovery can take days and sometimes requires proving your identity with government ID. Setting this up ahead of time, while everything is working normally, takes about five minutes and can save a genuinely stressful situation later.
This is worth doing for any account where you've turned on two-factor authentication. But it matters most for your primary email and Apple ID or Google account, since those are usually the accounts used to reset every other password you have. Source: support.apple.com and support.google.com.
Official sources
- Apple Support — support.apple.com
- iPhone User Guide — support.apple.com
- AppleCare contact options — support.apple.com
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