An Instagram backup code is a single-use emergency code. It lets you log in to your account when you can’t receive your two-factor authentication code, for example if you lose your phone, change your number or the text message never arrives.
What they’re for
- They’re single-use. Each code gets you in once.
- They only exist with two-factor authentication. If you don’t have it turned on, there are no backup codes.
- They get you out of a jam. If you lose your phone, it gets stolen or you change your number, you can still log in.
- They keep you from getting locked out. Without them, proving to Instagram that the account is yours can take a long time, and it doesn’t always work.
How to turn them on step by step
- Open Instagram and tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner.
- Tap the menu (☰) in the top right corner.
- Go to Accounts Center.
- Tap Password and security.
- Go to Two-factor authentication and choose your Instagram account.
- If two-factor authentication is already on, tap Additional methods.
- Tap Backup codes and turn them on.
- You’ll see a list of 8-digit codes. Copy them or take a screenshot, and store them somewhere other than your phone.
Rules for using them
- Each code on the list works only once and stops working after you use it.
- You can generate new codes from the same menu when you run out.
- Keep them off your phone: on paper at home or in a secure cloud note you can open from any computer. If they’re only in your phone’s photo gallery and you lose the phone, you lose them with it.
When you’ll need them on Tikful
If you open a support ticket for a creator for an account with two-factor authentication turned on, the form asks you for a backup code. That way, the creator can log in to the account without you having to turn off that protection.
Don’t share your codes
A backup code gives access to your account. Share it only in the Tikful Studio ticket form, never by direct message, WhatsApp or email, and generate new codes once the ticket is closed.