Phone number has changed/new phone... HELP!

[tek825]

I need to access my old account. Two-step verification appears to be on. Code was sent to my old phone number, which has changed. I now have a new phone and new number. (Old phone no longer works as the screen is shattered/doesn't power on) I don't recall having an emergency backup code on hand either. I need to get into my old account. My email address for my old account is <SNIP> I know the password. I NEED TO TALK TO CUSTOMER SERVICE BY PHONE OR EMAIL A/S/A/P. I NEED A LIVE PERSON PREFERABLY. (I had to create a new email address, Google account, etc. all because two-step verification was "on". Apparently most of my online activity was linked to my old number, which no longer exists. I find it super frustrating...) There are very important files on my original account that I need to retrieve/get back. I created this new account (that I'm using to type this) just so that I can file a complaint and hopefully get some answers/HELP!

*Edit: I no longer have the SIM card to my previous phone, which was a Samsung Galaxy A10e ... Ugh! *@$!&#

[Mark]

Hi @tek825 

I'm afraid, simply put, that without access to the old phone number or your backup codes which are given as you set up the 2FA you cannot get access to the account. There is no way round this, at all. 

As your phone itself is broke can you not just swap the SIM in to another phone?

[RCJ37]

I previously had two phone numbers given Dropbox. Now I have but one cellphone number, the second phone has been cancelled since my wife has Alzheimers. Yes, I can submit my email address and ask to reset my password hoping to get to my phone settings and bring my account up to current, however the next hurdle I face is providing a passcode that you continue to  send to numbers I no longer have. 

I've been a member of Dropbox for more than 10 years and have a good deal of information stored on your site but unfortunately, as the old saying goes, "You just can't get there from here."  Surely someone must have considered this circumstance. 

I not only have a new phone number but I have a new carrier. My old SIM card went in the trash. What a predicament!

[Rich · Accepted solution]

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@RCJ37 wrote:

Surely someone must have considered this circumstance.

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Yes, they have, and it's why you were given emergency backup codes when you enabled two-step authentication. You use the codes to gain access to your account when you no longer have access to the phone used for authentication.

• https://help.dropbox.com/accounts-billing/security/issues-two-step-verification#lostphone

[Arnonsouza]

my phone number has changed and I can't get the SMS code to access the account

[Hannah]

Hey @Arnonsouza , sorry to hear about this.

Have you taken a look into this article, to see if you find the info helpful?

[Ayyu]

I am changed my old number and i am not used now, so while login to my account two step verification is coming so i am not able to login, i tried several methods but its not coming so can you do something to login my account also forgot backup code also

[Hannah]

Hey @Ayyu, sorry to see you're having trouble accessing your account.

I'd suggest taking a look at this relevant article for some info on how to gain access to your account.

If that's not helpful, what you'll need to do is contact our support team directly.

You'll need to open an incognito/private browsing window, go to this page and submit your help request.

Once that's done, make sure to send us the ticket number here as well.

I hope this helps.

[RCJ37]

Like most internet users I have a massive number of passwords and user names, in excess of 400 and growing. Expecting me or any user in my situation who has foolishly misplaced his two-step authentication code after years of having it issued is inconceivable. Based on this experience I will never institute an authentication code again on any site. Our world today has placed astronauts on the moon numerous times, sent spacecraft around the dark-side of our moon and circled our planets, gathered samples, and returned them safely to Earth, BUT we can't prevent troubled minds from bilking our money and invading our privacy. 

[Kriswb50892]

I cannot tell you how many times I've run into this problem or how many cell phone numbers I've had to get new ones or how many cell phones that I've broken can't remember the password and lost the account situation that this girl has gone through I have the sure and only way to resolve this problem number one don't bother trying to go through all these avenues that people are telling you to go through you're only going to spend endless hours being frustrated and cause so much anxiety. You may possibly resolve the issue and then if you do by taking all these random attempts and steps to get back into your account the one thing that you will have achieved is you will learn at that point how to become a professional hacker and to hack into other people's accounts because all you need is basically minimal information to get back into your account so if you're able to do that with this situation and resolve it then you'd be learning yourself how to be a hacker and you can better protect yourself from other people hacking on to you. The sure win no fail solution here is to go to the phone company that you were addressed to with your prior telephone number where you have the broken phone purchase a new SIM card for the exact same phone number that you just lost or do you just gave up and spend the extra money it'll cost you what for a basic plan $25 maybe and pay the 25 bucks get the new SIM card for the old phone number and put it into your phone access your account transfer all the files on your new phone take it out and throw the SIM card away or whatever you want to do with it and then download your new SIM card into your new phone and voila problem solve you just have to go and pay to have your account and problem solve instead of going through all these random steps I don't know why people go through all this crap just take $25 and go to the store and buy yourself a new sim card with the same phone number of that account and started over as though you really did lose it and go from there I mean Simple Solution guys not that difficult and you're welcome