How to Recover Your Amazon Account When You Cannot Sign In

You go to sign in to Amazon and something blocks you. Maybe the password no longer works, maybe the verification code never arrives, or maybe you have lost the phone that holds your second factor. Whatever the symptom, you want back into your account without losing your orders, payment methods, or settings.

The good news: Amazon has a recovery path for every common lockout, and most of them take only a few minutes. This guide walks through all of them in order, starting with the fastest fix and ending with the slower identity-verification route you use only when nothing else works.

Work through the sections top to bottom. Stop as soon as one gets you back in.

Reset Your Forgotten Password

If you remember the email or phone number on the account but not the password, this is your fix. It works on any desktop browser.

1.Go to the Amazon Password Assistance page (amazon.com/ap/forgotpassword). You can also reach it from any sign-in page by opening the Need help? drop-down and selecting Forgot password.
2.Enter the email address or mobile phone number tied to your account, then select Continue.
3.If prompted, enter the postcode or zip code on the account (this prompt does not always appear).
4.Amazon sends a six-digit One Time Password (OTP) by email or SMS. Check your inbox, including the spam or junk folder.
5.Enter the OTP in the box provided and select Continue.
6.Create a new password, entering it twice. It is active immediately.

Reset Your Password From the Amazon App

You can do the same reset inside the Amazon Shopping app on iOS or Android.

1.On the login screen, open the Need help? drop-down and tap Forgot password. You may first need to tap Already a customer? Sign in to reach the login screen.
2.Enter the email address or phone number on your account.
3.If prompted, enter the postcode or zip code, then tap Continue.
4.Open the password-assistance message Amazon sends and enter the six-digit OTP.
5.Create a new password to finish.

If you get stuck on a particular screen in the app, switch to the desktop browser method above. The app's security settings limit what some steps display, and the browser flow is identical.

Get a Missing OTP or Verification Code to Arrive

If the reset above stalls because the code never shows up, the problem is delivery, not your account. Run through these in order.

Check your email spam or junk folder, and confirm the phone number and email on the account are still correct.
Wait a moment. In rare cases a code can take up to ten minutes to arrive. Once it does, enter it promptly.
If you requested several codes in a row, you may be rate-limited (for example, "Please wait at least one minute before requesting another OTP"). Wait ten minutes and try again instead of tapping repeatedly.
Reboot your mobile device to refresh the connection, then resend the code.
Switch the delivery method. Request the code by text message, email, or automated phone call, whichever you did not just try.
Clear your browser cache, or try a different browser or device.
If a code still will not reach you, use an authenticator app to generate the OTP, or move to the identity-document recovery below.

Switching channels (SMS versus email versus voice call) resolves a surprising share of these cases, so try that before assuming the worst.

Some older devices or apps never show a separate code-entry screen, so a normal two-step prompt seems to "fail." Amazon's fix is to combine the code with your password.

1.Sign in with your email or phone and password as usual.
2.Get your current security code from your authenticator app, SMS, or other method.
3.In the password field, type your password immediately followed by the code, with no spaces between them. For example, password "amazon123" plus code "45678" is entered as "amazon12345678".
4.Submit again to complete sign-in.

Note that you cannot save the device as trusted when Alternate Sign-In is required, so you will re-enter a code each time on that device.

Recover the Account With a Government ID

If you have lost access to your registered email or phone, lost your two-step device, or the code simply will not arrive by any method, Amazon verifies your identity through a document upload. This is the path for a true lockout, including a compromised account where someone changed your contact info.

1.Go to the Two-Step Verification Account Recovery page in Amazon's help. The OTP-issues help page also directs you to the upload tool at amazon.com/a/recover/upload.
2.Follow the on-screen instructions to upload a scan or photo of a government-issued identity document, such as a driver's license or state ID.
3.Make sure your name, your address, and the issuing authority (for example, the state or country) are clearly visible, and that the image is high quality and unobstructed.
4.Cover, conceal, or remove sensitive information such as account numbers or identification numbers before uploading.
5.Submit and wait. The verification can take one to two days to complete.
6.Amazon emails you once Two-Step Verification has been disabled. You can then sign in with your password alone.

Set your expectations here. This route is not instant, and a non-compliant image (sensitive numbers showing, or your name and address obscured) can stall it. Some users have reported needing more than one submission before recovery completed, so submit a clean, fully legible image the first time.

Regain Access to an Account on Hold

Amazon may place an account on hold and block sign-in after unusual payment or sign-in activity. In this case you are not locked out by a forgotten password; access is paused until you verify your identity.

Start the process only from Amazon's own sign-in and help pages. This is the moment scammers exploit most: fake "account on hold" or "confirm your account" texts and emails carry links to lookalike sites that steal your login. Never begin recovery from a link in an unsolicited message, even one that looks official.

Once you are verified, change your password and turn on two-step verification, especially if you suspect the hold followed someone else's access to your account.

When to Contact Amazon Customer Service

If you have worked through every method above and still cannot get in, contact Amazon Customer Service for password and account recovery as a last resort. Reach support through the Help section of Amazon's own website or app rather than a phone number from an outside source, since unofficial contact numbers can route you to scammers.

One reassurance about passkeys: if your account uses them, you can still sign in with your password if you prefer. Passkeys are an addition to your sign-in options, not a replacement that locks out the password path, so a lost passkey device does not bar you from the recovery methods in this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Amazon's identity-document recovery take?

Plan for one to two days. You regain access only after Amazon emails you that Two-Step Verification has been disabled, at which point you sign in with your password alone. A clear, compliant ID image keeps it from dragging on.

My verification code never arrives. What should I do first?

Check your spam folder and confirm the email and phone on the account are correct, then give it a few minutes. If nothing comes, switch the delivery channel (text, email, or automated call). Avoid requesting codes repeatedly, as that triggers a rate-limit and makes you wait longer.

Why is there no place to enter my two-step code?

Some older devices and apps do not show a separate code screen. Use Alternate Sign-In: type your password immediately followed by the code with no spaces between them. You will not be able to mark that device as trusted, so expect to enter a code each time.

I got a text saying my account is on hold with a link to fix it. Is it real?

Treat it as suspicious. Scammers spoof Amazon "account on hold" and "confirm your account" messages with fake links. Do not tap the link. Open Amazon's sign-in or help pages directly and start any verification from there.

Can I still get in if I set up passkeys and lost the device?

Yes. Passkeys are an extra sign-in option, not a lockout of your password. You can sign in with your password, and if that is also lost you can use the password reset or, if you cannot receive a code, the government-ID recovery.