Accessing my recovery key

Hi Christina,

I completely understand how stressful it feels to have important files locked behind BitLocker.

When you update your Microsoft account with a new phone number, Microsoft’s security policy automatically applies a 30 day hold before you can access sensitive recovery info like the BitLocker key. This is a security measure to protect your data from unauthorized changes.

While you wait, here are a few things you can still try to recover the key sooner:

• Check if the recovery key was saved to another trusted Microsoft account you own.
• Look for a printed recovery key or a USB drive you may have used when you first set up BitLocker.
• If this is a work computer, contact your organization’s IT admin or check Azure AD sometimes the key is backed up there.
• Try signing in to your old Microsoft account from a trusted device or browser (laptop, phone, tablet). Go to https://aka.ms/myrecoverykey. If the device is recognized, it might let you view the recovery key without needing to verify the new number.
• Check your OneDrive linked to the old account sometimes the recovery key is saved there as a text file.

If none of these work, you could also contact Microsoft support and explain your situation. While the 30 day policy is very strict, sometimes they can help verify your identity another way if you have proof of ownership (like purchase receipts, the device serial number, or old login info).

I really hope this helps and that you’re able to get back in soon.