Riot verification code not received? Fix it in this order

You type your password into the Riot Client, it asks for a six digit verification code, and nothing shows up. Your duo is already in queue. A Riot verification code that is "not received" is almost never lost in space. It is usually sitting in a spam folder, going to an email you forgot about, or waiting in an app you did not think to open. This guide walks through the fixes in the order that solves it fastest, using what Riot says on its own support pages.

First, figure out where the code is supposed to show up

Riot calls this multi-factor authentication, or MFA. Once it is on, Riot says every time you try to sign in you get a six digit code, either in the Riot Mobile app or by email to the address on your Riot account. Riot also lists a third option for confirming a sign in: an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator or Duo.

• Email: the code goes to the email address on your Riot account. This is what most people mean when they say the code never came.
• Riot Mobile: the code appears inside the Riot Mobile app on your phone. Nothing is emailed, so an empty inbox is normal.
• Authenticator app: the code is generated on your phone by the app. Riot does not send anything at all.

So before you smash Resend, pick up your phone. If you ever set up Riot Mobile or an authenticator app, the code you need is probably already there. If you are curious how those rolling six digit codes work, our 2FA code generator shows it in your browser.

Fixes for email codes, in order

If your account uses email codes, work through this list top to bottom. Most people are back in by step three.

1. Check spam and junk. Riot's own MFA help says that if you do not see the email in your inbox, check the spam folder. Also look in tabs like Promotions or Updates if your provider sorts mail.
2. Search the whole mailbox for riotgames.com. Filters and rules can move mail into folders you never open, and Riot notes emails can be accidentally filtered into other folders.
3. Confirm which email is on the account. Riot says the verification email goes to the address under Account Protection in your account settings. If that is an old school or work address, that is where the code went.
4. Resend once, then wait a bit. Riot's MFA card on the account page has a Resend option, and the League client lets you resend the verification email from its pop up. Requesting over and over just makes it harder to tell which code is the newest.
5. Use the newest code only. If several emails arrive at once, open the most recent one and type that code.
6. Mark Riot mail as safe. Once a code arrives, mark it as not spam so the next one lands in your inbox. Riot does not give steps for this, so use your email provider's own setting.

Do this today, while you can still sign in: open your Riot account settings and check that the email under Account Protection is one you actually read. Five seconds now saves a support ticket later.

Make sure the email is really from Riot

Verification codes are exactly what phishers try to fake, so a little care here matters. Riot publishes the domains it sends email from. The list includes riotgames.com and leagueoflegends.com, plus subdomains such as mail.accounts.riotgames.com, email.accounts.riotgames.com, umail.accounts.riotgames.com and mail.support.riotgames.com.

Riot's advice is blunt: if an email looks like it is from Riot Games but is not from one of its listed domains, do not open it. And Riot will never ask you to send your password or your authentication codes. If someone in a DM, a "support" Discord server or a random email asks for the code you just received, it is a scam, full stop.

Here is the flip side. If you get a Riot code you did not ask for, someone may be trying your password. Do not share the code, and change your Riot password from the official account page. If you think the account is already taken, follow our guide to recovering a hacked Riot account.

Riot Mobile codes and new devices

Riot Mobile is the app based option, and it has a couple of rules that trip people up. According to Riot, email MFA has to be turned on before you can activate Riot Mobile MFA. You set it up by clicking Activate next to Riot Mobile on the account management page and scanning the QR code with the app.

The part people miss: Riot says that on a new device you need to authenticate with your email MFA code on the first sign in. So even if you normally use Riot Mobile, a fresh install or a new phone can send you back to your inbox for one code. If you were waiting in the app and nothing arrived, check your email instead.

Valorant players have one extra wrinkle. Riot requires Riot Mobile MFA for ranked verification at Ascendant and above, and for accounts suspected of being shared. An authenticator app does not count for that check. If you see a Verify Account button where Start usually is, that is this requirement, not a broken code.

SMS codes for Clash and tournaments are different

Some players searching for a missing Riot code are not signing in at all. They are trying to join Clash or a tournament mode, which uses SMS verification to a phone number. Riot gives two useful facts for this one.

• It can take up to two hours for your phone or carrier to deliver the text.
• If you request a code three or more times in five minutes, the request is rate limited and no messages are sent. Spamming the button actively stops the code from arriving.

So request one text, then leave it alone for a while before you try again.

When the code goes to an email you cannot open

This is the hard case. Your MFA codes go to an address you lost years ago, so no amount of spam checking will help. Riot is clear here: if your MFA emails go to an address you no longer have access to, your only option is to contact Player Support with a ticket. Riot lists losing access to the account email as a normal recovery case, so you are not stuck forever.

Before you file, try your email provider's own account recovery. If you get that inbox back, the Riot side becomes a normal sign in. If not, gather what proves the account is yours: your username, the old email address, roughly when and where you made the account, and any purchase details you can find. Our Valorant account recovery guide covers what to put in that ticket.

One thing not to do: turning MFA off is not a shortcut. Riot only lets you disable it from the Multi-Factor Authentication card after you sign in, and it warns that disabling MFA removes a major layer of protection. If you cannot get a code, you cannot get to that button anyway.

Stop this from happening again

Missing codes are almost always a records problem. The account was made on an email you no longer check, or the app that holds the codes lived on a phone you traded in. A few minutes of setup fixes that.

1. Move the account email to an inbox you check every day, and turn on two step verification for that inbox too, since whoever controls it can reset almost everything.
2. Set up Riot Mobile or an authenticator app, so your codes do not depend on email delivery at all.
3. Only tick "Remember this app for 30 days" on your own PC or phone. Riot says to do this on trusted devices only, and it means far fewer code prompts.
4. Write down your Riot username, the account email, the Riot ID and which MFA method you use, and keep it somewhere safe.

That last step is where most people fall down, especially with a main and a couple of alts across League and Valorant. A gaming password manager like LoginScout keeps each account as one card with the platform, login, password, recovery email, 2FA backup codes and notes, encrypted on your device. Next time a code goes missing, you know in two seconds which inbox to open.

The short version

Check your phone first, because the code may be in Riot Mobile or an authenticator app. For email codes, check spam, search for riotgames.com, confirm the email under Account Protection, and resend once. Only trust Riot's listed domains and never give anyone your code. If the email is gone for good, open a Player Support ticket. Then keep your login details in one place so it does not happen again. You can create a free vault for up to five accounts in about a minute.