Generating Backup Verification Codes in Zoho Accounts

Backup Codes in Accounts.zoho.*

Backup verification codes are a set of 12-digit codes you can use to recover your Zoho account if you lose access to your MFA device, or otherwise have trouble signing in with multi-factor authentication. They're generated from accounts.zoho.* once MFA is enabled on your account, and are genuinely worth setting up the moment you turn MFA on, not after you've already lost access to your usual method.

Generating Backup Codes from accounts.zoho.*

  1. Sign in at your regional Accounts domain (accounts.zoho.com, accounts.zoho.eu, and so on).
  2. Click Multi-Factor Authentication in the left menu.
  3. Click MFA Recovery Options, then Generate New Codes.
  4. Copy the codes and save them somewhere secure, or download them as a file to view later in a text editor.

Generating Backup Codes from Zoho OneAuth

  1. Open the OneAuth app.
  2. Go to the Settings tab, then Account Settings.
  3. Under MFA Settings, tap MFA recovery, then Generate under Backup verification codes.
  4. Tap Generate again to confirm. If biometric authentication (fingerprint or Face ID) is enabled for MFA, you'll need to authenticate with it to continue.
  5. A new set of five codes is displayed. Save them securely, either by taking a screenshot or tapping Share to copy or export them.

Important Behaviour to Know

  • Shown once only. Once generated, backup codes aren't displayed again. Save them at the point you generate them, or you won't be able to retrieve them later.
  • Single use. Each code can only be used once to recover your account.
  • Regenerating invalidates the old set. If you generate a new batch of codes, any previously generated, unused codes stop working immediately. Only the newest set is valid.
  • Disabling MFA invalidates your codes too. If MFA is disabled on your account, your existing backup codes stop working. Re-enabling MFA later requires generating a fresh set, and you'll also need to reconfigure application-specific passwords for any third-party apps you use.
For organisation users: Organisation admins can set policies that restrict individual users from generating their own backup verification codes. If you don't see the option to generate codes at all, this is the likely reason; contact your organisation's admin for clarification or to request codes on your behalf.

Using a Backup Code to Recover Your Account

  1. Go to the Zoho sign-in page and enter your username and password (or complete your federated/SSO sign-in as usual).
  2. When prompted for MFA, click Problem signing in? or Can't access your device?
  3. Choose the option to use a backup verification code, and enter one of your saved codes.
If you never generated codes, or have lost them: Contact Zoho support directly at support@zohoaccounts.com. They'll verify your identity and, once confirmed, provide a one-time backup code to help you regain access. Once you're back in, immediately reconfigure your MFA method and generate a fresh, proper set of backup codes rather than relying on that one-off support code going forward.
Need help? 1 Cloud Consultants can help you set up MFA and backup verification codes correctly across your Zoho organisation, and establish a safe recovery process for your team. Book a discovery call with 1 Cloud Consultants.