The 2FA backup codes I printed disappeared, and now I get it
Last month I reset my email account after a phishing scare, and while I was setting up two-factor authentication, I printed out the backup codes and tucked them in my filing cabinet. Yesterday I needed one because my phone died during a job site inspection in Dayton, and guess what, the codes were gone. Turns out my wife had cleaned out the cabinet and recycled what she thought was junk paper. I was locked out for three hours before I could get into my account through a recovery email. I never realized how easy it is to lose those codes, especially when they look like random receipts. Has anyone else had a similar close call with backup codes, and do you keep them somewhere safer, like a password manager or a safety deposit box?
Ugh, that sinking feeling when you realize the paper you need got tossed! I had almost the same thing happen, except my codes got soaked when a water bottle leaked in my bag, and I couldn't read a single one. Now I save them in my password manager and also email a copy to myself so there's always a backup somewhere I can actually find. My wife knows now to never touch anything in my desk drawer, even if it looks like a receipt.