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The password reset loop that ate my Saturday morning

I spent almost 4 hours last weekend trying to get into my own email account because I couldn't remember which variation of my password I used. Turns out I had set up two-factor authentication on an old phone number 3 years ago that I forgot to update. The recovery process kept sending codes to that dead number and then asking me to verify my identity by checking a different email that also had the same phone number on file. My coworker Dave had warned me about this exact scenario back in 2021 during a lunch break but I laughed it off. Now I go through every account once a quarter and update my recovery info even if nothing changed. Has anyone else had a simple password reset spiral into a whole afternoon project?

2 comments

2 Comments

michaelcoleman4d agoTop Commenter

Did you ever check if your email provider lets you generate backup codes ahead of time? Most services give you ten single-use codes you can print and stash somewhere safe. I keep mine in a physical folder with my tax stuff, not on any device. That way if my phone dies or I swap numbers I can still get in without the whole loop.

jordangibson4d ago

Yeah, the "stash somewhere safe" part is where I always trip up. I printed out my backup codes once, put them in what I thought was a very responsible spot, and then spent two hours tearing my apartment apart looking for them a month later. I found them in a cookbook I never use, which is basically the same as losing them forever. So now I just have a note in my phone that says "check under the microwave for backup codes" and I'm pretty sure that's the same level of security as taping them to my front door. If I ever lose my phone, I'm just gonna have to email myself from a library computer and hope for the best.