Two-step verification (2FA, 2SV) protects your PlayStation Network account: when you sign in from a new console or device, Sony asks for a one-time code. The problem is that SMS messages to Russian numbers are currently badly delayed or don't arrive at all, and the old number is often no longer available. As a result, you remember your password but can't sign in. Below is what to do, from simple to complex.
Step 1. Wait and request the code again
SMS codes sometimes take 10–30 minutes to arrive. Don't request one many times in a row: Sony temporarily blocks sending after a series of requests. Check that Do Not Disturb mode is off on your phone and that the number in your account is entered with the country code.
Step 2. Sign in with a backup code
When you enable two-step verification, Sony gives you ten backup codes. Each works once and replaces the SMS code. If you saved them, on the code entry screen choose "Use a backup code" and enter any unused one; letter case matters.
Where they were stored: on the PlayStation website under "Account Settings → Security → Backup Codes", in the PS App, or on the console under "Settings → Users and Accounts → Account → Security". You can only view them from an already signed-in session, so save new ones as soon as you regain access.
Step 3. Check whether you're signed in on another device
If you're still signed in to the account on a console, in the PS App on your phone or in a browser, you can reconfigure two-step verification from there without a code: open "Security", disable 2FA or switch the method to an authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy and similar). An authenticator doesn't depend on your mobile carrier and works in Russia without delays. This is the main tip for the future.
Step 4. Contact PlayStation support
If you have no backup codes and no device left where you're signed in, only Sony can disable two-step verification. Support will ask you to confirm the account is yours: online ID, date of birth, email, console serial number, and details of recent purchases. For Russia-region accounts, support is currently limited; for Turkish, Ukrainian and other regions, you contact the support site of the relevant country, in English. A response may take several days.
Step 5. Restore access through us
If you don't have time to deal with support or it isn't working out, order the service "PSN access recovery: 2FA and password": a specialist will disable the old two-step verification and reset the password, and the new login details will be sent to the website, by email and in Telegram. Usually within an hour during business hours 10:00–23:00 MSK. You need access to the email the account is registered to.
For the account owner only. A specialist may ask you to confirm that the account is yours: for example, to show purchase receipts or console details. If ownership isn't confirmed, we will decline and refund your money. We don't recover other people's accounts.
How to avoid losing access again
- Right after signing in, switch two-step verification from SMS to an authenticator app.
- Save the new backup codes in your phone's notes and in a password manager.
- Make sure you have access to the account's email and that emails from Sony are arriving (check your Spam folder).
- If you've lost your password too, there's a separate guide: how to reset your PSN password.
More answers about accounts and the console are in FAQ.