Update: I locked myself out of my own smart home for a week

I decided to change all my passwords and add two-factor auth to everything, which sounded smart at the time. But then I forgot which email I used for the reset codes, and my phone number was old, so no texts came through. My smart lights wouldn't turn on, and I couldn't even get into my own thermostat settings during a heatwave. Had to call a friend who works in IT, and he facepalmed when he heard I didn't write anything down. Now I keep a paper list of backup codes in a safe spot, because tech can be too clever for its own good sometimes.

2 comments

2 Comments

mason.paige8h ago

Guess tech isn't always smarter than paper?

hunt.pat6h ago

@mason.paige is onto something, since paper doesn't CRASH or need updates. My cousin had a similar mess when her cloud backup failed during a move, so now she keeps codes in a fireproof box. Digital stuff can just VANISH, so old methods are often safer.