Recover Coinbase Account: Regain the Access

Coinbase is an American Cryptocurrency Exchange Platform. It operates remotely, and there are no physical headquarters. Upon considering its trading volume, Coinbase is the largest cryptocurrency exchange platform in the United States, as of March 2021. It brokers the exchange of several cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and Ethereum Classic with fiat currencies. Like many other web applications, you have to create an account to access Coinbase services. Being a financial application, Coinbase implies several security standards to access your account. However, there are some unavoidable circumstances in which you may lose access to your account. What should you do in such cases?

There are several reasons for losing access to your account. You may have lost your password. There may be an erroneous 2-step verification process. Your account may be disabled or even locked. You may have even lost access to the email account linked with Coinbase. Sometimes, you may have even accidentally deleted your account and want it back now. There are also cases in which several suspicious activities are going on in your account, and it has been compromised. If you are facing any of the problems mentioned above, or if you cannot access your account for any other reason, then this is the right place.

To help you out, we have listed out a few methods to help you access your account. So, keep reading to find the best method that describes your problem. Perform all the steps mentioned below in that case, and you will regain access to your account in no time.

Table of Contents

Case 1 – You Lost Your Coinbase Password

As a basic requirement, Coinbase requires a password to log in to your account. If you have lost your password, then you cannot access your account. You can either try remembering your password or you must change it to access your account. If you are opting for the latter, here is how you can change your password –

Visit the official Coinbase Homepage.
Click on Sign In in the top right corner.
In the login page, click on Forgot Password? below the form.
Type in the email address that is linked to your Coinbase account.
After this, click on Reset Password.
Coinbase will now email you to verify that it is you. This email will contain a link to reset your password. Go to the link.
Type in your new password and submit.

That’s it. You have now successfully changed your password. You can now log in to your Coinbase account with your new password whenever you want. However, if you are not facing this problem, keep reading. You will find your problem in the below sections –

Case 2 – Problems with SMS Codes

Coinbase provides a two-step verification, also known as two-factor authentication or multifactor authentication, as an added layer of security to protect your account. If you have enabled this feature, you must provide a verification code sent to your mobile phone or email every time you log in to Coinbase. This is in addition to your username and password. However, at some times, you may not receive your code through SMS. As you haven’t received your code, you cannot verify yourself, and hence cannot access your account.

You are Not Receiving your SMS Codes

If you are not receiving SMS codes even if you have enabled two-factor authentication, then it is probably because of one of these reasons. Keep reading all the reasons, and let us try troubleshooting your problem –

You are using an Authenticator App – If you are already using an authenticator app like Google or Duo, you will not get SMS codes. Check your authenticator app for the codes instead.
Your SMS Inbox is already full – If your SMS inbox is overflowing, you may not receive a verification code. So, try deleting a few messages and request for a code again.
The SMS Network is poor – With a poor network on either side, the messages may not be sent and received successfully. To avoid these problems, you can go for an authenticator app. These applications do not need a network coverage or an internet connectivity.
There are too many SMS requests – As a security measure, Coinbase stops sending out messages if there are too many code requests. Wait for 24 hours, and they will again resume sending out messages. If you have already waited for 24 hours, and you still haven’t received your code, then check with your mobile service provider. They may be blocking your messages.

Case 3 – You are No Longer Using the Same Mobile Number

As mentioned earlier, if you have enabled two-factor authentication, you must enter a security code in addition to your username and password to enter into your account. If you have selected SMS authentication, then you will receive your verification codes in the form of SMS or text messages. But, what if you have changed your mobile number for any reason? How can you access your Coinbase account if you don’t receive any verification code? No worries! We have listed all the cases available and also their solutions. Keep reading to find your situation and regain access to your account easily –

You Have a New Mobile Number, But Still Have Your Old Mobile Number With You

So, if you have changed your mobile number and still have your new number working, then you need to link your new number with Coinbase. For this, you are going to log into your Coinbase account with your old mobile number, register your new mobile number there, and then delete your old number. Here is how you can do it –

Visit Coinbase Homepage.
Sign in to your account with your username, password and the two-step verification code with your old mobile number.
Once you are inside your account, go to the Security Settings page.
Under the phone number category, enter your new mobile number. Coinbase will ask you to verify your new number. Enter the security code that you receive and verify your new number.
Now, set your new mobile number as your primary number.
Delete or unlink your old mobile number (This step is optional. You can do this if you are getting rid of your old mobile number).

That’s it. You will now receive verification codes in your new mobile number. However, if you have purchased a new SIM card with your old mobile number, then check out the next section instead. Also, if you no longer have access to your old mobile number, then the next section is right for you too.

You Have a New Mobile Number, But No Longer Have Your Old Mobile Number With You

If you have linked your old phone number with Coinbase and have changed your phone number now, then you cannot log in to your account as you will receive verification codes in your old mobile number. For this, you have to register your new mobile number with Coinbase and delete your old mobile number from it. Here is how you can do it –

Visit the official Coinbase Homepage.
Sign in to your account with your username and password.
Now, Coinbase asks for your verification code. Instead of entering it, select I need help. (Sometimes, you won’t get this prompt after you enter your username and password. This is probably a cache issue. All you have to do is to clear out your cache or repeat the process on an incognito browser tab).
Click on I need to update my phone number.
After this, Coinbase asks for a few things to verify that it is you trying to change the mobile number. You must submit the following for security reasons –
1. A picture of both front and back of your photo ID.
2. Coinbase will then raise a prompt. At that time, you must capture and submit a webcam photo of yourself.

After you have completed all the steps mentioned above, Coinbase will verify your submitted copies. If successful, you will be able to log in to your account after 24 hours. You can complete buys and sells after that. However, after 48 hours, you can perform all trading activities. For security reasons, Coinbase disables all sells until the entire verification process is complete.

You Have a New Mobile Number, But Cannot Remember Your Old Number

If you have changed your mobile number, but forgot your old one, then the process becomes a little tough. Try remembering your old mobile number, or look for it in your files and documents.

If nothing clicks, try contacting the Coinbase Support Team. A detailed guide on contacting the Coinbase support team is given later in this article.

Case 4 – You No Longer Use the Same Email Address

What if you have changed your email address? You no longer have access to the email address that is linked with your Coinbase account! To change your email address linked with Coinbase, you just need to follow all the steps mentioned below. But before that, ensure that you have these things –

The password paired with your Coinbase Account.
Access to the mobile number that is already linked with your Coinbase Account.
Access to your enabled Two-Step Verification method.

If you have all of these with you, then you can easily change the email address that is linked with your Coinbase account. Follow all the steps that are given below, and you will be able to access your account soon –

Go to the official Coinbase Homepage.
Sign in to your account with your previous email address and password.
Now, enter your two-step verification code.
You will now be prompted to verify your new device. Click on I no longer have access to my email address.
Type in your new email address.
Coinbase will email you in the email address that you just provided.
Open the email and click on the link attached (Blue button).
Again, enter your two-step verification code.
Select and upload the suitable ID type.

That’s it. You have now successfully changed your email address that is linked with your Coinbase account. After you have completed all the steps mentioned above, Coinbase will verify your submitted copies. If successful, you will be able to log in to your account after 24 hours. You can complete buys and sells after that. However, after 48 hours, you can perform all trading activities. For security reasons, Coinbase disables all sells until the entire verification process is complete.

If you haven’t enabled two-step verification on your account, then you cannot change your email with this method. Contact the Coinbase Support Team to help you out. A detailed description of how to contact support is given later in this article.

Case 5 – Problems with Two-Step Verification

Coinbase provides a two-step verification, also known as two-factor authentication or multifactor authentication, as an added layer of security to protect your account. If you have enabled this feature, you must provide a verification code sent to your mobile phone or email every time you log in to Coinbase. This is in addition to your username and password. This verification may be through SMS verification or through an authenticator app. If you are using an authenticator app and are facing problems with it, then this section is just for you. Browse the problems and the methods given below to find your perfect solution –

Google And Duo Authentication (TOTP)

You Still Have Your Old Mobile Device, But Want to Use a New Mobile Device

If you are still having access to your old mobile device, then this is what you need to do to link a new mobile device to the authenticator –

Visit the Coinbase Homepage.
Sign in to your Coinbase account with your username, password, and the two-factor verification code from your old mobile device. (In case you don’t have an internet connection in your old device, make sure that you connect it to a trusted Wi-Fi network).
Go to the Security Settings Page of your account.
Generate your secret key again. (Remember that regenerating your secret key will invalidate all your old device tokens).
Once the secret key is generated, scan it with your new authenticator device. You have now registered your new device as an authenticator.

You Want to Use a New Mobile Device, But You No Longer Have Your Old Mobile Device

Visit the Coinbase Homepage from your computer.
Sign in to your Coinbase Account with your username and password.
When it prompts you for your two-step verification code, select I need help. (If you are not prompted, it is probably a cache issue. Try clearing out all caches or try browsing in incognito mode).
Click on I can’t access my authenticator app anymore.
After this, Coinbase asks for a few things to verify that it is you trying to change the mobile number. You must submit the following for security reasons –
1. A picture of both front and back of your photo ID.
2. Coinbase will then raise a prompt. At that time, you must capture and submit a webcam photo of yourself.

You Have Your Authenticator Codes, But They are Not Working

If your codes are not accepted even if you have entered them correctly, then they may be out of sync. Go to the settings of your mobile device and check the clock. If it is wrong, apply the correct timezone. This will most probably work.

Authy Authentication (TOTP)

Authy is no longer supported by Coinbase. What you need to do now is to disable Authy and add a new authenticator. This may be an SMS-based authentication or a TOTP like Google or Duo. Follow all the steps given under the heading, “You Want to Use a New Mobile Device, But You No Longer Have Your Old Mobile Device” in this article. You will be able to add a new authenticator and thus be able to access your account soon.

Case 6 – Problems with Security Keys

Your Security Key is Not Working

Here are a few things to try out if your security key is not working –

Pull out your security key from the port and insert it again. It is perfectly inserted only if a light appears on the key.
Clear all the cache and cookies from your browser and try again.
Ensure whether your key supports WebAuthN / Fido2 standards. You can verify this by contacting its manufacturer.

Updating Your Security Key With a New Key

Visit the official Coinbase Homepage.
Sign in to your account with your username, password and the two-step verification code.
Now, go to your Security Settings Page.
You will see your Security Key’s name there. Click on Manage next to it.
Once you are inside the Security Key Management Window, click on Remove for the key that you would like to remove.
Now, select to set up another two-step verification method to replace your security key.

Contacting Coinbase Support

If you are struggling with some problem other than the ones mentioned above, or if you are facing any trouble with any of the above methods, you can reach out to the Coinbase Support Team. Here is how you do it –

Visit the Coinbase Support Page.
Type in your problem in the Search bar on the top and hit enter.
A list of help articles that may help you solve your problem appear below. Choose the perfect article and read it out. IT will have the instructions to solve your problem.
If you don’t find any article that suits your issue, click on the Message Us button in the bottom right corner.
Choose the appropriate options and Coinbase will guide you to solve your issue.