Adding 2FA is a great way to keep your account safe but if you lose access to your device or your email, you will need a backup code to regain access to your WordPress site.
For example, if you don't have your phone with you or you replaced/lost it and can't get a code from Google Authenticator, you can use a backup code to login.
Shield allows users to generate a backup code that can be used to login if Multi-Factor Authentication factors are unavailable. It achieves this through the Allow Backup Code feature. This feature helps you to recover your login with 2FA backup code.
Once you've done this, your site users can use a backup code for their login.
Note: Once you generate the code, you can also delete it if you want.
Important: Before you confirm the code, please copy it and ensure that you store it wherever you keep your other valuable items.
Please also note that, if the option to generate codes does not appear on your user profile, this means that there is no 2FA factor active on your account.
This is a recovery system, and not designed to be a standard 2FA option for everyday use.
Once the code had been used, Shield will notify us directly on our WordPress dashboard (at the top of the page) and send us an email notice that backup login code was just used.
For more information about this feature, you may read the release article here.
Please note that this is a pro-only feature. If you wish to make use of this pro feature, and all the other pro-features, you can upgrade here.