Need help unlocking NY unemployment account - MFA Google Authenticator issue

The exact same thing happened to me last month!! So frustrating. I think the problem is that Google Authenticator sometimes gets out of sync with the NY.gov system. What fixed it for me was going to the NY.gov ID self-service page (not the unemployment login) and using the 'Account Recovery' option instead of password reset. You'll need your NY.gov username, date of birth, and the last 4 of your SSN. Then they'll let you switch to text message or email authentication instead. The link is something like id.ny.gov/recovery (I don't remember exactly), but it's different from the regular login page everyone uses.

Have u tried clearing ur cache and cookies? sometimes thats all it takes

This is a KNOWN ISSUE with the NY.gov ID system that they REFUSE to fix!!! I've been dealing with this garbage for YEARS. The self-service recovery DOESN'T WORK half the time because their system is totally broken. I had to call 15 TIMES before I got someone who knew what they were doing. The real problem is the MFA timeout is too short but they blame it on our phones. Classic government incompetence! And don't get me started on their "customer service" which is just robots telling you to go back to the website that DOESN'T WORK!

I had this problem too. The recovery method on the NY.gov ID site wouldn't work for me, but I found another solution. You need to actually email the NY.gov ID help desk directly at NYGOVIDHelp@its.ny.gov with your username and explain the MFA issue. They usually respond within 24-48 hours and can manually reset your MFA options. Just don't include any sensitive info in the email like your SSN or anything.

I went through this exact nightmare scenario back in January. Tried calling unemployment for days with no luck - always disconnected or on hold forever. I finally got through to someone using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have this system that gets you through to an agent much faster. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE showing how it works. The rep I spoke to fixed my MFA issue on the spot and walked me through setting up a different authentication method. Saved me so much time and frustration compared to trying to call on my own for days.

Try this: go to id.ny.gov (not the unemployment site) and click on the "having trouble signing in" link at the bottom of the page. Then select "reset my multi-factor authentication" from the options. You'll need to verify your identity with some personal info, but then you should be able to set up a new MFA method. If that doesn't work, you need to contact the NY.gov ID support team (not unemployment). Their number is 844-891-1786. They're open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm. Unlike the unemployment line, you can usually get through without too much wait.

my friend had to get her whole account reset. something about the google authenticator app needs to be sync'd with their system. she had to start from scratch with a new NY.gov ID it was a whole thing

Have you tried using the "Get help with your NY.GOV ID account" option on the login page? Sometimes that route is better than trying to call unemployment directly since it takes you to the technical team that handles account issues rather than general unemployment questions.

Just a quick update - I tried the ID support line I mentioned earlier today and their wait time is currently about 15 minutes according to the recording. Much better than the unemployment line! Hope this helps someone.

UPDATE: I finally got my account unlocked! I ended up using Claimyr to get through to someone on the phone (thanks for that suggestion). The agent was able to reset my MFA settings and I switched to email verification instead of Google Authenticator. Now I'm back in my account and was able to certify online! For anyone else with this issue, definitely try the NY.gov ID support options first, but if you can't get through, Claimyr helped me get to an actual human who fixed it in about 5 minutes.

I had this exact same problem about 3 weeks ago! The Google Authenticator sync issue is so common with NY.gov ID accounts. What worked for me was actually going through the ID recovery process on the NY.gov ID website (not the unemployment site). You have to answer some identity verification questions, but then they let you switch to text message authentication instead. The key is to make sure you're on the actual NY.gov ID portal when you do the recovery - not the unemployment login page. It took about 10 minutes and I was back in my account. Way faster than trying to get through on the phone! Hope this helps and you get it sorted out quickly.

I'm having a very similar issue right now! My Google Authenticator stopped working with my NY.gov ID account about a week ago, and I've been stuck trying to certify my benefits. I've tried calling the unemployment line multiple times but can never get through - it either disconnects or puts me on hold for hours. Based on what everyone is saying here, it sounds like the NY.gov ID recovery process might be my best bet. I'm going to try that first before looking into the paid callback services. It's so frustrating that this is such a common problem but there's no clear solution posted anywhere on their official sites! Has anyone had success with the email option that Giovanni mentioned (NYGOVIDHelp@its.ny.gov)? I might try that as a backup if the self-service recovery doesn't work for me.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My Google Authenticator has been giving me "invalid authentication code" errors for the past few days and I can't get into my NY.gov ID account to certify my benefits. Based on all the helpful advice in this thread, I'm going to try the self-service recovery on the NY.gov ID site first, and if that doesn't work I'll call the ID support line at 844-891-1786 that Fatima mentioned. It's reassuring to know there are actual solutions that work - I was starting to panic thinking I'd be stuck calling the unemployment line forever! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. This community is so helpful for navigating these government system nightmares!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Been locked out of my NY.gov ID account for almost a week because Google Authenticator keeps giving me "invalid code" errors. I've been trying to call the unemployment line every day but it's impossible to get through - either busy signal or I sit on hold for 3+ hours just to get disconnected. Reading through everyone's experiences here is giving me hope though! I'm definitely going to try the self-service recovery on the NY.gov ID site first thing tomorrow morning. If that doesn't work, I'll try calling that ID support line at 844-891-1786 that several people mentioned - sounds way better than the unemployment phone maze. It's crazy that this is such a widespread issue but they don't have any clear information about it on their help pages. Thank you all for sharing your solutions - this thread is more helpful than anything I found on the official sites!

I'm dealing with the exact same Google Authenticator issue right now! Been locked out for 4 days and it's driving me crazy. I tried the self-service recovery on the NY.gov ID site this morning and it actually worked! Took about 15 minutes to answer all the identity verification questions, but then I was able to switch to SMS authentication instead of Google Authenticator. For anyone else stuck with this - make sure you're going to id.ny.gov and not the unemployment login page. The recovery option is under "having trouble signing in" at the bottom. You'll need to know things like previous addresses, phone numbers, and some financial info, but it beats sitting on hold for hours. Just successfully certified my weekly benefits online again - such a relief!

I'm going through this exact same issue right now! My Google Authenticator has been giving me "invalid authentication code" errors for the past 3 days and I can't access my NY.gov ID account to certify my benefits. It's so frustrating because the codes look right but the system keeps rejecting them. Reading through all these solutions is really helpful - I had no idea there was a separate ID support line or that the self-service recovery was different from just resetting your password. I'm going to try the id.ny.gov recovery process first thing tomorrow morning, and if that doesn't work I'll call 844-891-1786. It's ridiculous that this Google Authenticator sync issue is so common but there's no clear guidance about it on their official help pages. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this thread is a lifesaver!

I'm dealing with this same Google Authenticator nightmare right now! Been locked out for 2 days and getting so frustrated. I tried calling the unemployment line yesterday but gave up after being on hold for over 2 hours. Based on all the helpful advice here, I'm going to try the self-service recovery on id.ny.gov first thing in the morning. If that doesn't work, I'll definitely call that ID support line at 844-891-1786 that several people mentioned - sounds way more promising than the unemployment phone maze. It's crazy how common this issue seems to be but there's absolutely nothing about it in their official help docs. This thread has been more useful than hours of searching their website! Thanks everyone for sharing your solutions and experiences.