Set up 2FA on 15 accounts and locked myself out of half of them in one afternoon

I spent last Saturday activating two-factor authentication on all my important logins after reading a breach report about my email provider. Got too confident and used the same authenticator app for everything without saving backup codes anywhere. Ended up stuck out of my bank account and three social media profiles because my phone died mid setup. Has anyone else bricked their own accounts like this trying to be secure?

3 comments

3 Comments

angelar5717d ago

You didn't write down a single backup code?

rowan_roberts4917d agoTop Commenter

Gotta be real with you here, backup codes are the one thing you absolutely don't skip lol. The whole point of 2FA is making it harder for bad guys, but if you don't have a fallback plan you're just making it harder for yourself. A notebook by your desk or a screenshot in a locked folder would've saved your Saturday.

anthonymurray16d ago

Dude, @rowan_roberts49 hit the nail on the head so hard it's not even funny. I learned this the hard way too - lost access to my old email for a whole month because I was too lazy to save the codes. Now I keep a printed copy in my wallet next to my license, and another one taped inside my desk drawer at home. It feels a little paranoid but honestly, losing a Saturday is way worse than looking a little extra. Even just a photo in your phone's hidden folder is better than nothing.