topic Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone in Email

Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

Skipper2026 — Wed, 27 May 2026 07:11:21 GMT

As of yesterday I can no longer access my Sky Yahoo! email account because there now appears to be no way to bypass the two-step verification page when I try to log on. For years there has been a 'maybe later' button on that page if you didn't want to set it up but now that's been removed.

But this feature assumes everyone has a mobile phone or access to one via a family member or close friend. Being disabled and living alone that does apply in my case. I don't have a moblie phone or access to one. So as far as I can tell that's goodbye to the email account I've had for decades, with many messages of personal importance to me being stored there. It's also my recovery email for my Hotmail and Gmail accounts so I guess I'll have problems in the future when I'm logged out of those for some reason. Can they not at least send this verifiaction code to a landline phone number instead of just mobile phones? I'm sure I've had this service in the past from other companies, like PayPal for instance.

I was on the phone to Sky for over 40 minutes yesterday, just going round in circles with every department telling me despite this being Sky Mail they had no control over it or access to any of it. The online chat person, called Fatima, proved useless too as she just gave me contact numbers for automated helpdesk accounts which didn't even have any email options available to select.

I use my PC all day everyday, as it's pretty much my only contact with the outside world due to my disability, and now a feature I don't want or need has taken my main email account away from me and it seems Sky are just shrugging their shoulders and denying it's anything to do with them. I've been a Sky TV customper since 1997 by the way, paying full price for their sports coverage, rather than using dodgy methods to watch for free as so many do these days, but it seems like that counts for nothing when they decide to discrimiate against their disabled or elderly customers.

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

Blackadder44 — Wed, 27 May 2026 07:39:05 GMT

I am also disabled and have had my sky email address for 25 years

My problem is the phone number that they are sending the code too i no longer have.
When i sign in to change the mobile number, GUESS WHAT?
They send another code to the mobile number i no longer have and am trying to change!!

Make that make sense sky

As you have pointed out i have everything attached to this email address....everything!!
Yes i'm old and maybe stuck in my ways, but give me notice to change something and i will, not just thrust it on you with no warning.

Phoning them is proving useless as none of them no how or what to fix

Really not happy

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

jayach — Wed, 27 May 2026 11:35:04 GMT

@Blackadder44

If you have never setup 2FA in the past, when they ask you to set it up for the first time, there should be an option to change the number used at the bottom of the request.

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

Blackadder44 — Wed, 27 May 2026 11:39:06 GMT

You are correct

And when i log into sky to do this guess what?......it sends a code to the same old number that i am trying to change!!

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

Blackadder44 — Wed, 27 May 2026 11:39:58 GMT

The number on record is the first ever mobile number from 25 years ago when i first got the sky account

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

jayach — Wed, 27 May 2026 12:20:54 GMT

@Blackadder44 wrote:
The number on record is the first ever mobile number from 25 years ago when i first got the sky account

The same happened to me, but my number was only 17 years old, but the link at the bottom didn't send a code to the old number, it sent a code to the new number (for verification), after I input it.

Any chance you're following the wrong link?

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

Blackadder44 — Wed, 27 May 2026 12:43:14 GMT

So here is what happens
Keep in mind i have never invoked the 2 factor authentification

I log into my sky account and go to "edit my phone number"
It immediately pops up with the same authentification page when trying to log into my email account and sends a code to the only number i have ever registered with sky 25 years ago

Vicious circle
I dont have the mobile number anymore and if i try to change it in my sky account it sends the same code to the same old mobile number, which i don't have.

I have always just clicked "maybe later" for the 2 factor, but to make it mandatory without sending me any warning is out of order

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

Blackadder44 — Wed, 27 May 2026 12:46:39 GMT

This is what i get the second i press "edit my email address" in my sky account
The number shown is 25 years ago when i first got sky

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

Mark39 — Wed, 27 May 2026 12:47:55 GMT

@Blackadder44 looks like you'll need to contact Sky, as your image indicates.

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

Blackadder44 — Wed, 27 May 2026 12:48:30 GMT

For the record i am NOT trying to add 2 factor authentification
I am trying to change my number so i can set it up so i can access my darn emails

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

caesarome — Wed, 27 May 2026 12:54:34 GMT

@Blackadder44

You still need to follow the advice on the page and use the link to contact Sky presumably son they can update the phone number.

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

jayach — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:16:13 GMT

@Blackadder44 wrote:
This is what i get the second i press "edit my email address" in my sky account
The number shown is 25 years ago when i first got sky

This is what I get if I go to the "edit my email address".

The number is the one I gave them yesterday, I haven't yet tried the "recover your account online" yet.

There seem to be a lot of different 2FA prompts being received, goodness know why.

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

Skipper2026 — Fri, 29 May 2026 15:03:23 GMT

GOOD NEWS !! As of today [16:00 UK time] Sky seem to have removed the compulsory Two-Factor Sign in page when you log into your
Sky Yahoo! emails. It's gone back to the old page asking if you want to opt-in or click the 'maybe later' button.

So after 3 days of being locked out I can now once more read my emails. Hopefully things will stay that way....

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

Mark39 — Fri, 29 May 2026 15:21:12 GMT

@Skipper2026 I'm seeing the same thing.

So anyone with a Recovery Code can turn off 2 step verification, or you can do it via the online account manager if you're receiving verification codes ok.

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

caesarome — Fri, 29 May 2026 15:29:50 GMT

@Mark39

What a mess, I wonder how long that will last ?

Re: Locked out of email account of 20+ yrs because I don't have a mobile phone

Mark39 — Fri, 29 May 2026 15:32:09 GMT

@caesarome we can only guess that it's until they have a process for enforcing 2 step login for those who don't have uk mobile number or who have no mobile.