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Glossary
Recovery Code
A recovery or backup code is a secret issued in advance for an alternative sign-in route. It is different from a fresh text-message code.
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Definition
A recovery code is a secret created or issued by an account provider to help the account holder regain access when a usual sign-in factor is unavailable. Providers use different names and rules. Some issue a set of one-use backup codes; others use a recovery key with different effects.
Why It Matters
For example, Google's backup codes can replace the usual second verification step. Each is used once, and generating a new set invalidates the previous set. That behavior must not be assumed for every service that uses the word recovery.
Common Mistakes
- Do not write live codes into a shared estate worksheet, email them to an unexpected support contact or assume possessing a code gives legal authority to use a deceased person's account.
Safe Best Practices
- For your own accounts, follow the provider's storage instructions and keep codes somewhere secure and retrievable. Record only their location in your planning inventory. After a death, use the provider's authorized process rather than impersonating the owner.
Official sources
Related Terms
Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication adds a second proof step after the password, often through a text message, authenticator app, hardware key, or approval on another device.
Passkey
A passkey is a modern sign-in method tied to a device, browser, or password manager, often replacing or reducing the need for a traditional password.
Account Recovery
Account recovery helps a provider verify a user who has lost access. It is separate from a deceased-user data request or estate authority.
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