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Locked out of GitHub after losing 2FA

Lost phone, app or recovery codes

You can no longer give the two-factor code, for example after losing or resetting your phone. GitHub Support cannot turn off 2FA for you, so you need one of your own recovery options.

Is GitHub down right now? Major outage: 787 problem reports in the last hour. Many people are having trouble, so this problem may come from GitHub's side: waiting can be enough.
Fix it

How to fix it

  1. Sign in at github.com/login and choose 2FA recovery code under More options, then enter one of your saved codes.

  2. Use a passkey or security key instead if you added one to the account.

  3. If you have none of these, choose Begin account or email recovery and verify the one-time password sent to your email.

  4. Pick a verified device, an SSH key or a personal access token as proof, then wait for GitHub to review the request.

  5. If no recovery option works, unlink your email address so you can use it on a new account.

From GitHub's help pages: docs.github.com, in our words. Checked on 5 November 2026. If the steps do not help, GitHub's own support is the next stop.

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