I dropped my phone in a puddle of water it wouldnt turn on so i ended up throwing it away,now i cant get into my gmail account its wanting a 2 step verification text code,i went through the process of trying to recover the email and they said in a generated message 3-5 business days and i haven't heard a word,its been about 8 days now?
Maybe wait a few more days, then write another email. If you don't have access to your phone the next time, there is a possibility to use backup codes for signing in:
when you get your access back, print those backup codes and keep a copy in a safe place. in the mean time, post on google forum and complain that they didn't get back to you.
When and if i do get back in i will write the access codes or print it yes,but im gunna turn off the 2 step verification in settings first thing
if you once signed into your gmail account on any other computer or device, such as a spare computer you own, or a friend's computer, or at work, you might still be signed in there. If so, you can get those codes, and use them on your new phone EDIT: another idea: If you have google drive installed on a device , it is synced to your google account, and through that interface you should be able to get the codes.
In the case of a lost phone, the backup codes are helping you to sign into your account so that you can disable the 2 Factor Verification temporarily. After you received your new phone you can activate it again, but keep the backup codes in a secure place.
and from your desktop, you can't get to your google accounts page? Once you get to your google accounts page, you can generate codes, and even turn off two-step verification.
I'm confused... When you replaced your phone (which you have done right?), the text message for 2FA no longer comes through?? (Not sure the exact timing but you can retain your phone number for a period of time in order to transfer it to a new phone. But if you wait too long, you lose it.)
i dropped it in a puddle of water in the rain it cracked the screen it turned went all black after that and wouldnt even turn on
Did you get a new, different phone number? If you kept the same number, it should still send the 2fa code, I would think.
If you are wanting a simple solution, the easiest thing to do is to go get your old number back. This problem will then go away instantly. Every phone vendor that I am aware of supports number portability. Even pay as you go companies do it (like TracFone for example.) If it's too late to change numbers back to your original, then you're going to have to ride this out for as long as it takes via Google. The take away from this is to never change phone numbers without thinking through all the possibilities. Phone number of record can affect credit card IDs, bank IDs, and who knows what else. It's not just a simple phone number anymore...
I think you have no choice but to play the game the way google wants. I took your story to heart, I cancelled two-step verification on my gmail account, sounds like it hurts more than it helps. If I was you, I would post on the google forum about it.
2FA is a good security measure. If someone has your credentials or they are leaked into the internet, no one is able to login without the second factor. In the case of a missing phone, one of these backup codes (instead of the 2FA codes) can be used and the user should be able to login and can deactivate 2FA temporarily. After the user received the new phone, he can enable 2FA again. With enabled 2FA it will be more difficult for unknown people to login into the account, but ironically it will also be harder for the own user if the backup codes are missing.
thanks. Truth is, you're right. If you print up those codes, and stick a second copy of them in your wallet, you're pretty much ready for all eventualities.
Success! I use 2FA for my Google but the text is my backup method. My primary is via Authy. (Which is on multiple devices!)