A Microsoft account recovery code can get you back in when every other method fails. Learn how to generate the 25-digit code, store it and sign in with it.
Sign in and open the Manage how I sign in page at account.live.com/proofs/manage/additional, then select Generate a new code under Recovery code. Print it and keep it off your sign-in devices. To use it, choose Other ways to sign in, then Forgot password, then I don't have any of these, and enter the code.
SummaryMost Microsoft account lockouts come down to losing a verification method: a phone number that changed, an authenticator app on a lost phone, or an old recovery email. The recovery code is Microsoft's backstop. It is a 25-digit code that lets you reset your password when nothing else works, but it only helps if you create it in advance and store it properly. This guide covers how to generate it, where to keep it and the exact sign-in route that uses it.
Last checked: 20 October 2026 against Microsoft Support.
Microsoft describes it as a 25-digit code used to help you regain access to your account if you forget your password or if your account is compromised (Microsoft Support). It works as one more verification option alongside your phone, email and authenticator app.
Microsoft says to print the code and, for security, not to store it on a device used to sign in to your account. A device you sign in on is the one most likely to be lost or compromised along with the account, which would defeat the purpose. A printed copy kept somewhere secure at home is the approach Microsoft describes.
No. Microsoft says you cannot retrieve or download an existing recovery code. If you can sign in, you can create a new one at any time. If you cannot sign in, Microsoft points you to its sign-in helper.
Microsoft notes that some steps vary depending on your account's security level and which numbers and email addresses you have added. Codes are not case-sensitive and do not need spaces or dashes.
Microsoft says that if your account has two-step verification turned on, you must wait 30 days for changes to take effect after recovery. Expect this if you use the code on a protected account, and do not assume something has gone wrong.
Without the code, Microsoft's route is the account recovery form. Microsoft says it sends the result of a recovery request to the working email address you give at the start of the form within 24 hours (Microsoft Support). Give as much accurate detail about the account as you can. Our guide on Outlook or Microsoft account locked covers the form in more depth.
| Situation | Route |
|---|---|
| You have a printed recovery code | Other ways to sign in, then the recovery code prompt |
| You can still sign in | Generate a new code now and replace old copies |
| No code, no verification methods | Microsoft sign-in helper and recovery form |
| Lost the authenticator phone | See our Authenticator guide, then create a recovery code |
Microsoft accounts can have several verification methods at once: phone numbers, alternative email addresses, the Microsoft Authenticator app and the recovery code. The recovery code is different because it does not depend on any device or inbox staying in your hands. That is why Microsoft advises keeping it off your sign-in devices. If your phone is stolen and your email is on the same phone, the printed code is still at home. When you add or remove other methods, review the Manage how I sign in page and make sure your recovery code is still current, since generating a new one is the only way to be sure which code works.
Treat the printed code like a house key: anyone holding it, together with your username, can reset your password.
Microsoft's own settings, help pages and forms are the official routes. Anyone who messages you offering to restore or unlock your account, or who asks for your password, codes or recovery details, is not part of that process. Never share them. Our guide on spotting fake recovery services lists the warning signs.
Microsoft controls account recovery. The recovery code only helps if you made it in advance, and Microsoft says it cannot be retrieved later. Without it, the recovery form is the official route and Microsoft decides the outcome. If you lost your authenticator phone, see Microsoft Authenticator on a lost phone.
AwareXone helps people review account access and security through official platform routes. We are independent and not affiliated with Microsoft, the work is best-effort, and Microsoft makes the final decision. Read more about our account security.
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