Just got locked out of my account after activating MFA.
I activated MFA for messages to make sure security is tight. To make sure the number is correct, they send an SMS (yes, an actual normal SMS), I verified it, and I was like cool. Then I got logged out, and now I can’t log back in.
Turns out they can verify your phone with a normal SMS when you’re enabling MFA, but once you’re locked out and actually need to log in, suddenly that same method is unavailable. Where is the logic behind this? I hoped at least disabling it (since I still have an active phone session) would also work through regular SMS… but no.
This decision-making is honestly insane and feels like something that should have been caught long before being pushed to users.
Furthermore, you can’t add another MFA method, even though OpenAI themselves say having another method can help you avoid a lockout. It’s because adding one asks you to verify through the existing message method first, which very nicely responds with “Temporarily unavailable.” Mind you, this system was pushed in 2024.
It will not be comforting for anyone reading this to find out that there have been many posts about the same issue even in the last month, and I haven’t seen anyone find a reliable solution.
If you have enrolled in an advanced security login method, still have a trusted device session alive, or have a passkey, you MAY still be able to access your account, possibly finish what you were working on or at least figure out how to transfer/save what you have in ChatGPT.
However, at some point your last session, or multiple sessions at once, could simply expire, leaving you in a really bad spot for no good reason.
PRO TIP: One guy claimed he solved it by going to iPhone Settings → Passwords and finding what he needed there. I wasn’t as lucky, and most people probably won’t be either, but it may be worth checking.
This makes me feel bad on multiple levels. I started using ChatGPT when the beta released. I was a freshman in college, and now I’m graduating in SWE in a month. I’m at the point where losing access could genuinely affect whether I finish some of my projects and what happens with pursuing my Master’s degree this fall.
That is why this is so frustrating. An account-security feature is supposed to protect your account, not put you into a lockout state with seemingly no recovery path.
If it genuinely ends up costing me access to work I’ve relied on for years, I can’t see myself continuing as an OpenAI customer. And I would have a very hard time recommending the service to colleagues or friends when something this basic can potentially leave a user completely stuck.
Sorry for the long comment. I’m generally someone who never comments, so I guess it says something that this is what finally made me write one.
Really hoping support answers, the messaging provider gets fixed, or someone finds another solution. More importantly, I hope OpenAI fixes the recovery flow so other users don’t end up in the same situation.
