How do you solve problems with two-step verification?
Are you unable to log in because the verification code is not working or does not arrive, or do you have a new phone? You can read how to set up the verification yourself in Setting up two-step verification. The ‘Two-step verification’ tab under Access appears as soon as two-step verification is available for your account. Laposta is enabling this step by step.
You have a new phone and the old one still works
Ideally, you should arrange this before you get rid of your old phone. You can do this yourself using ‘Replace authenticator app’, on both a free and a paid account. If you want to switch to a different authenticator app, follow the same steps. The old link will continue to work until you have confirmed the new app.
Choose Replace authenticator app
Next to ‘Authenticator app’, click ‘Edit’ and then ‘Replace authenticator app’. For verification, enter the code from the app on your old phone and your password.
Afterwards, remove the old Laposta entry for this login from your app so that you do not accidentally use the wrong code. If the app is your only method, ‘Disable’ will not appear under ‘Edit’. That is normal: you do not need to disable anything to replace it.
If you no longer have a code for verification, for example because your old phone has already been wiped, you can reset the verification yourself using your recovery email address. Log out, log back in, and on the screen where you enter the code, follow the steps under ‘You have no recovery codes left either’ further down on this page. You can then set up the verification again on your new phone.
Changing your phone number for SMS
SMS and using both methods at the same time are only available with a paid account. With a free account, you use the authenticator app; this works without a phone number and without mobile reception.
With a paid account, you can change the number yourself, preferably before your old number expires. Because you cannot disable your only enabled method when two-step verification is required, you first enable the authenticator app as a second method. You can do this under Login → Two-step verification:
Enable the authenticator app
Next to ‘Authenticator app’, click ‘Enable’ and scan the QR code with an app such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator.
You can disable the authenticator app again afterwards, although Laposta recommends leaving it enabled. If you have both methods active, you can choose which one to use when logging in.
You no longer have access to your phone or number
In this case, use one of your recovery codes:
After logging in, you will see a message under Login → Two-step verification stating that a recovery code has been used, along with how many codes you have left. Generate a new set there via ‘Manage recovery codes’ if you only have a few remaining.
The SMS code does not arrive
Delivering an SMS can sometimes take a few minutes. If it still does not work after that, go through this checklist:
- Request a new code via ‘Send new SMS code’ in the ‘Did not receive an SMS?’ box. You can only do this once the waiting time has passed.
- Check whether your phone has reception.
- Check whether the number in your account is still correct.
If it still does not work, use a recovery code to log in.
You have no recovery codes left either
Usually, you can reset the verification yourself using your recovery email address. You can read what that address does and does not do in Recovery codes and recovery email address. If you have set up a recovery email address, it works as follows:
Choose to log in with your recovery email address
On the verification code screen, click ‘Log in with your recovery email address’ in the ‘No longer have access?’ box.
Two-step verification will then be disabled, and you will automatically receive an email to set a new password. That email is sent to your login email address, not to your recovery email address, so you must have access to that inbox. If two-step verification is required for your account, you will have to set up the verification again immediately after logging in. You will then also receive ten new recovery codes.
When such a reset takes place, a notification is sent to all email addresses linked to your account as a user. If you receive that email without having reset anything yourself, contact the helpdesk immediately at helpdesk@laposta.nl.
You have no access at all any more
This can happen in two situations:
- You have no access to your phone, no recovery codes and no recovery email address either, for example because you have not logged in since it became required.
- You can no longer access the inbox you use to log in, for example because the colleague whose name the login was under has left. In that case, your recovery email address will not help, because the new password arrives at your login address.
In these cases, contact the helpdesk via helpdesk@laposta.nl or the contact form. Send your message from the email address you use to log in, if you still have access to it. The helpdesk cannot simply restore your access; one of our colleagues will look at what is possible on a case-by-case basis, and it is not easy.
Never put passwords or recovery codes in an email.