Your Backup codes - Important

Commissario
Joined
16 Oct 2002
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2,830
Location
In the radio shack
When you first set up 2FA on your forum account, you'll have been offered a set of backup codes. You can use these codes to get back into your account if you have a problem with the authentication method. If you change your phone and don't transfer it over, if you delete the app, or if anything else happen to cause you problems with the authenticator, these backup codes can help get you back into your account quickly and easily without having to contact us.

We know from experience that many people don't save these backup codes or they forget where they've saved them or they save them on their phone, which they then wipe when they upgrade. Or they put them in a text document on their PC and promptly forget about them.

Please, please make sure you've got a copy of the backup codes for your account and that you know where they are.

Click on your name in the top right, select Password and security, click the change button next to Two-step verification, enter your password when prompted and then click the Manage button next to Backup codes.

Take a copy of these codes, save them somewhere that they're accessible. Save them to your One Drive, your Google Drive, your iCloud. If you have a password manager, save them in the 'notes' section of your OcUK account. If you just save passwords on a text document somewhere, save them in there as well. If you have a 'contacts' app that syncs with the cloud, save them under your own name. Put them on the USB stick you have hanging from your keyring.

I'm sure you get the idea here, save these codes somewhere safe where you can access them on multiple devices.

Also check this while you're in your account settings.

This will not just benefit you recovering your account on the OcUK forum. When you set up 2FA anywhere, you should be offered backup codes. Save them. If you lose your 2FA authenticator for any reason, you'll need to contact every single place you have 2FA enabled to recover your account which will be a major pain in the arse. For your own sanity, always save 2FA backup codes when offered by any site.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
23 Mar 2011
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16,897
Location
West Side
Yep its a must especially after my account being hacked , thanks to the boys for getting me back online .

2FA all the way .

My story

 
Soldato
Joined
9 Mar 2003
Posts
14,246
Always save the codes.

I use a password manager and it takes a few seconds to add them in the notes section.

I have managed to loose my Authenticator a couple of times through phone upgrades etc and the codes are the only way to get back into a lot of accounts.

It’s not just OCUK, nearly every site that uses 2FA via an Authenticator will issue codes, save them all.

PS, use a password manager.
 
Commissario
OP
Joined
16 Oct 2002
Posts
2,830
Location
In the radio shack
It’s not just OCUK, nearly every site that uses 2FA via an Authenticator will issue codes, save them all.
This.

Imagine you lose your authenticator app and you're signed up to [say] twenty places using 2FA. If you don't have your backup codes, you're going to have to make the effort to contact each and every one of those places to recover your account. If you have your backup codes, you won't need to do this.

Since the 19th November, we've had seventeen members contact us to help get back into their account. Seventeen! No doubt those seventeen people have had to contact multiple other places to recover their accounts.

Please, please save the backup codes. Please.
 
Associate
Joined
20 Aug 2020
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2,038
Location
South Wales
I use Authy across multiple devices so if one gets lost or damaged I should be fine. Never have saved the backup codes though. May have to do that just in case but so far it’s been fine like that for years.
 
Permabanned
Joined
9 Aug 2008
Posts
35,707
I use Authy across multiple devices so if one gets lost or damaged I should be fine. Never have saved the backup codes though. May have to do that just in case but so far it’s been fine like that for years.

Mega.nz - if you forget your password and can't get in or lose your 2FA device your account is lost forever unless you have your backup code. Let this be a warning to a lot of sites out there. Lose the backup code you lose your account. :)
 
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