What to do if…
you lose the phone or device holding your verification codes or passkeys and cannot sign in

What to do now

1. On another safe device, open the missing device’s official find-device service. Locate it, play a sound if it may be nearby, or mark it lost or secure it if those options are available. If it appears at an unfamiliar or unsafe location, do not try to retrieve it yourself.
2. If the device has cellular service, contact your wireless carrier through a known official route. Report the device missing and ask how to suspend its service or protect your number from unauthorized transfer without disrupting any recovery method you still need.
3. Check every computer, phone, tablet, browser profile, and app where the affected account may already be signed in. Keep those sessions open and, where the provider allows it, use the security settings to add a replacement sign-in method before removing the missing one.
4. On the account’s official sign-in page, choose an option such as “Try another way” or “Use another method.” Try any backup code, recovery email or phone number, trusted device, separate security key, or passkey stored on another device that you previously set up.
5. Check the credential manager that held the passkey or authenticator data. On a trusted replacement device, sign in to the same Apple, Google, Microsoft, or password-manager account. Synced passkeys may become available; authenticator codes can generally be restored only when backup or synchronization was enabled before the device was lost.
6. If no alternate method works, begin the account provider’s official recovery process. Give accurate information and follow any waiting period or identity checks shown by the provider.
7. For a work or school account, contact the organization’s IT help desk or account administrator. State that the registered verification device is unavailable and ask them to reset or re-register the approved sign-in method.
8. Once access is restored, review the provider’s device and security settings and remove lost authentication methods where appropriate, following that provider’s lost-device instructions. Keep a missing Apple device in Find My while you still need Activation Lock protection. Add a working replacement sign-in method and review recent sessions or sign-ins for activity you do not recognize.
9. If you find unauthorized activity or believe personal or financial information was exposed, use the provider’s compromised-account process. IdentityTheft.gov provides official recovery steps for suspected identity theft.