Steam Guard Recovery Code: Find It, Use It, Keep It Safe

Get your recovery code on paper in 5 steps

Do this while your phone and the Steam Mobile app still work.

You need the phone that has the Steam Mobile Authenticator on it. If that phone is already gone, you usually can't view the old code anymore; use the lost-phone guide instead.

1. 1

   Open the Steam Guard tab

   In the Steam Mobile app, tap the shield icon in the middle of the bottom bar.

2. 2

   Tap the gear, then Recovery Code

   On the Steam Guard tab, tap the gear icon and choose Recovery Code; labels may vary by app version.

3. 3

   Write it on paper

   Copy it by hand, check each character twice, and note which Steam account it belongs to.

4. 4

   Store it offline

   Keep the paper with your important documents, not in a screenshot, cloud note or chat.

5. 5

   Replace it after a phone move

   Moving the authenticator shows a new code; write that one down and retire the old note.

Three Steam Guard codes people mix up

Each code does a different job, and only one of them removes the authenticator.

Recovery code

A code shown when you set up or move the authenticator, usually starting with the letter R. Steam uses it to let you remove the authenticator yourself if the phone is lost.

Steam Guard app code

The short sign-in code in the Steam Mobile app. It changes every 30 seconds and works once, so it is never worth writing down.

Backup codes

Single-use sign-in codes you can request in Account Details under Manage Steam Guard, typed instead of an app code. They do not remove the authenticator.

Scope & boundaries

Your recovery code is for you and Steam only. Steam Support says it will never ask for your codes, so anyone who asks for yours, in chat, email or on a site someone sent you, is not Steam.