Google backup codes provide a fallback for supported accounts using 2-Step Verification. Generate them while you can sign in, then store them somewhere you can reach if the primary phone is unavailable.
Check the feature’s scope
Google’s guide describes a set of ten eight-digit codes. Each code works once, and a newly generated set invalidates the previous set.
Backup codes require 2-Step Verification. Google’s current guidance says they cannot be downloaded for accounts enrolled in Advanced Protection. Organization policies can also affect available sign-in methods.
Generate and save the set
- Open the intended Google Account.
- Select Security & sign-in → 2-Step Verification.
- Open Backup codes and continue through any verification.
- Choose the option to get codes if none exists, or refresh them when a replacement set is needed.
- Print or download them using the provided controls.
Control labels can vary. Before refreshing, remember that anyone relying on an earlier printed copy will need the new set.
Choose storage that survives the problem
A printed copy in a secure place can remain accessible when the phone is lost. An appropriately protected independent digital location can also be useful. Avoid keeping the only copy inside the same inaccessible Google Account or exclusively on the primary phone.
Do not leave an unprotected screenshot in a shared photo library, email the codes to a helper, or store a printout openly beside the computer. These are sign-in secrets.
Use one code deliberately
At a legitimate Google sign-in, choose Try another way, then the option for an eight-digit backup code when offered. Enter an unused code from the current set and mark it as used in your private record.
A successful test consumes that code. Do not expect it to work again, and do not test the codes on an unfamiliar verification website.
Replace lost or exposed codes
If the set is lost, exposed, or nearly exhausted, generate a new one while access still works. Replace stored copies securely and remove obsolete ones. If somebody else may have used a code, review account activity and sign-in methods as well; refreshing the set does not undo prior access.
Official references
Reviewed against Google’s official guidance on October 27, 2026. Available options and screen labels can vary by account, device, region, and organization policy.