Locked out of LinkedIn by two-step verification: how to recover access

Two-step verification or two-factor authentication?

They are the same thing. LinkedIn now calls it two-factor authentication, while many people and older articles still say two-step verification. Either way, LinkedIn asks for a second proof, a code from an authenticator app, a text message or an approval in the LinkedIn app, whenever you sign in from a device it does not recognise. LinkedIn's two-factor overview explains the methods and recommends the authenticator app.

Being locked out here is not a restriction. LinkedIn has not penalised the account; you just cannot produce the second proof. That matters, because the fix is a recovery method, not an appeal. If you are not sure whether you are locked out or restricted, our LinkedIn account recovery team can tell you as a free diagnosis.

Which situation are you in?

What if you are still signed in somewhere?

This is the quickest route, which is why an old laptop or tablet that is still logged in is worth checking before anything else. LinkedIn's page on losing your two-factor device says you can turn two-factor off from your account settings on any device where you are still signed in.

1. On desktop: Me icon, Settings & Privacy, Sign in & security, Two-factor authentication, then the toggle to turn it off.
2. On mobile: your profile picture, Settings & Privacy, Sign in & security, Two-factor authentication, then the toggle.
3. Sign in on your new device with your password.
4. Turn two-factor back on straight away, preferably with an authenticator app on the new phone.

Do not leave it off. If you use Sales Navigator, Recruiter or Campaign Manager, LinkedIn's page on turning two-factor on and off says those products require two-factor on your LinkedIn.com account, and turning it off prevents access to them.

What if you have a new phone or reinstalled the authenticator app?

LinkedIn's authenticator app page says the app connection is unique to each device and each install. Uninstall the app, reset the phone or move to a new one, and the old codes stop working. The same page gives the fix for codes that are rejected, or that come out as eight digits instead of six: turn two-factor off from an active session, then set the authenticator up again from scratch.

Setting it up again takes a few minutes once you are in:

1. Install an authenticator app such as Microsoft Authenticator.
2. In LinkedIn, go to Settings & Privacy, Sign in & security, Two-factor authentication, and choose Authenticator App.
3. In the authenticator app, add an account, choose Other and name it LinkedIn.
4. Enter the secret key LinkedIn shows you, then type the six-digit code the app generates to confirm the device.

Next time you change phones, move the authenticator before you wipe the old one. It avoids this lockout entirely.

What if text message codes do not arrive?

Text message two-factor depends on a phone number you still control. LinkedIn's help pages cover three situations:

• You deleted the code. LinkedIn's page on deleted codes says signing in again sends a new one.
• You requested too many. LinkedIn's code limit page says you can request another code 24 hours after your last attempt, and that a recognised device can still sign in meanwhile.
• You were asked to approve in the app but saw nothing. LinkedIn's sign-in prompt page says to open the LinkedIn app to look for the prompt, check the phone's internet connection, and otherwise choose Verify using SMS.

If the number itself is gone, such as a number you ported away or a work phone you handed back, no amount of waiting will bring the code. Treat it as a lost device and use the identity route below.

No signed-in device and no phone: how does identity verification work?

When nothing else is left, LinkedIn's lost device page gives one route:

1. Sign in with your email address or phone number and your password.
2. On the two-factor screen, choose verify your identity at the bottom.
3. Submit a photo of a government-issued ID. The check runs through Persona, LinkedIn's identity verification provider, and you need a smartphone to capture the ID.

LinkedIn's identity verification page explains what LinkedIn receives and what it does not, and members in Canada, the EU and the UK can use a notarised Affidavit of Identity instead. Our walkthrough of what happens after LinkedIn asks for ID covers the check step by step, including why submissions fail. LinkedIn does not publish a turnaround for this step.

If you have also lost your password and the email on the account, start with LinkedIn's no access to email flow instead. It ends in the same ID check.

Why do shared logins and two-step verification clash?

Two-factor is built so that one person, with one phone, controls an account. That is why it so often breaks when a profile is used by more than one person: an assistant who needs a code from the founder's phone, or an agency locked out when the owner changes numbers. Section 2.2 of LinkedIn's User Agreement asks every member to keep their password confidential and not share their account, and section 8.2 lists using another's account, including sharing log-in credentials, among its Don'ts. The answer is not a shared authenticator. Each person should work from their own account with their own two-factor. Our post on sharing LinkedIn login credentials compares the access models.

How do you avoid the next lockout?

• Keep one trusted device signed in, so you always have a way into settings.
• Add a second email address or a phone number as a recovery method, which LinkedIn's help pages suggest.
• Use an authenticator app rather than text messages, as LinkedIn recommends, and move it before you change phones.
• Turn on two-factor for the email account behind LinkedIn as well.
• If you get a LinkedIn security email about a new device or browser you did not use, LinkedIn's page on security emails says to reset your password right away and contact LinkedIn.

If a lockout has turned into something bigger, such as an ID check that keeps failing or a restriction on top, our recovery team starts with a free diagnosis and tells you plainly whether recovery is realistic. For the restriction side, our guide on how to recover a restricted LinkedIn account covers the appeal.

Key takeaways

• A two-step verification lockout is not a restriction. You need a recovery method, not an appeal.
• Any device that is still signed in lets you turn two-factor off, sign in on the new device and turn it back on.
• A new phone or reinstalled authenticator app has to be set up again. Move it before you wipe the old phone.
• With no signed-in device and no phone, choose verify your identity on the two-factor screen and submit a government ID.
• Sales Navigator, Recruiter and Campaign Manager need two-factor switched on, so turn it back on straight away.

Frequently asked questions

Can LinkedIn support turn off two-step verification for me?

LinkedIn's help pages route a full lockout through identity verification: on the two-factor screen, choose verify your identity and submit a government ID. Its authenticator page also says to contact LinkedIn if you are fully locked out with no active sessions. There is no phone line; LinkedIn says it does not offer phone support.

Will turning off two-factor authentication affect Sales Navigator?

Yes. LinkedIn says Recruiter, Campaign Manager and Sales Navigator users must have two-factor turned on for their LinkedIn.com account, and turning it off prevents access to those products. Turn it back on as soon as you have signed in on your new device.

Why does LinkedIn say my authenticator code is wrong?

LinkedIn's authenticator page says rejected codes, or codes with eight digits instead of six, mean the app was not set up correctly. Set it up again from an active session using the steps above.

Is being locked out by two-factor the same as a restriction?

No. A restriction is LinkedIn limiting the account over activity it saw. A two-factor lockout means you cannot complete a sign-in step, and it is fixed through a signed-in device or identity verification, not an appeal. Our account recovery FAQ covers restrictions.

Can our team share one phone for a shared account's two-factor codes?

Sharing an account breaches LinkedIn's User Agreement, which asks members not to share their account and lists sharing log-in credentials among its Don'ts. Each person should use their own account and their own two-factor device.

Dealing with a restricted account right now? See how TechInRent's LinkedIn account recovery service works.