Back up codes come handy in a situation where you can not access your phone or are in a flight but need to access the internet. They are safe to the point that once used, a code can not be reused again. However caution needs to be taken while storing these codes. If you are using a phone to download the codes, then placing the codes in a safe folder will highly be necessary because once an intruder gets into your account, you will make a serious loss. But before we dive into the steps, it will be very good if you took a look at my previous blog post

How to set up two factor authentication on your email using desktop

Below are the steps you can use to get back up codes for your account

Step 1: Click on your profile picture on the top right corner of your gmail account

Step 2: Select security on the left of your screen

Step 3: Scroll down to “how to sign in on google” and select two step verifcation

Step 4: Select Get back up codes

Step 5: A list of codes will be displayed and you will notice two options, either to download or print. Choose one of the methods but ensure that you keep the codes safe when you choose