Recover your account during two-step authentication
Use these instructions when signing in or recovering a forgotten password with My Account, if you have turned on two-step authentication and you have lost access to your authenticated device.
Step 1: Should you have two-step authentication turned on and have lost your mobile device (or other authenticated device), then you will need to recover your account.
Depending on your chosen recovery method, you will recover your account by either:
- a recovery code that is sent to a secondary email address recorded againest your account; or
- one of the 9 available recovery codes. Each code can be used once.
In either instance, you will need to click on a "recover my account" link, located at the bottom of the screen to start the process.

If you cannot see the link then you have not reached the two-step authentication page. You will need to return to either the sign in chapter or the recover a forgotten password chapter and follow the instructions.
Step 2: Read the text on the page. If the text mentions the:
Step 3: Read the text on the page and then click on the "Send code" button.

Step 4: You will now see the next "Recover my account" page requesting you enter a recovery code.
REMINDER: You must keep this page open while checking your recovery email.

You will also receive an "account recovery request" email which will be sent to your account email address.

Step 5: Check your secondary email and confirm you have received an email titled "recovery code".
REMEMBER: It can take up to 10 minutes for the email to be delivered.

If you did not receive the email:
- Check that you are looking at your secondary email inbox.
NOTE: If you no longer have access to both your authenticated device and your secondary email, then your account cannot be recovered.
Due to security reasons, we cannot change your account set-up.
You will need to request that your existing account be deleted and then create a My Account. You may need additional permissions to be re-established in the online service(s) you are accessing.
- Check your Junk, Spam or Trash folders.
- If there is still no email, try a new recovery code by clicking on the "Get new code" button, however, note that any previous recovery code(s) sent will no longer work.
- If, after 20 minutes the email still has not been received, there may be a technical issue. In this instance, please contact us for further assistance. Contact details can be found under Need further assistance?.
Step 6: Enter the recovery code you have received in your secondary email and then click on the "Verify code" button.
NOTE: You have 20 minutes from when the email was sent, to enter the recovery code and click on the "Verify code" button.

Should you cut and paste the recovery code directly from your email via the double-click function, make sure that you have not pasted any extra spaces before or after the code.
If the recovery code has expired, please click on the "Get new code" button.
Step 7: You will now see the "Recover my account" page showing the recovery email has been confirmed and that two-step authentication can now be removed.
Click on the "Continue" button.

Step 8: You will now be directed to the "Thank you" page, confirming that the two-step authentication has been removed.
You can now either "Continue" to the online service or click on "Manage my account" to set up two-step authentication.

You will also receive an "account recovery completed" email which will be sent to your account email address.

You will have now recovered your account. Please proceed with the online service or re-establish the two-step authentication again.
Step 9: You must find the recovery codes which you previously downloaded and saved.
This is a PDF titled "recovery codes". If you cannot find the recovery codes or you have used all 9 recovery codes then the account cannot be recovered.
- Due to security reasons, we cannot change your account set-up.
- You will need to request that your existing account be deleted and then create a My Account. You may need additional permissions to be re-established in the online service(s) you are accessing.
If you have your recovery codes, enter one of the recovery codes and then click on the "Verify code" button. You may need to try multiple codes.

Step 10: You will now be directed to the "Thank you" page, displaying two recommendations.
Each code can only be used once.
Once all nine codes are used, you will no longer be able to sign in.
It is strongly recommended that you use one of your codes to turn off and then re-establish the two-step authentication.
Click on the "Continue" button.

You will also receive an "account recovery completed" email which will be sent to your account email address.
