Request a new code. It is usually faster than searching for the old one, and the old one may already have expired. If you still want to look, check Notification Center with Windows+N, Phone Link's Messages if the code came by text to an Android phone, or the app or inbox that sent it.
Request a new code first
Sign-in codes are short-lived on purpose. Authenticator apps that follow the TOTP standard show a new code every 30 seconds by default, according to RFC 6238. Codes sent by text or email stay valid for as long as the service decides; if the message states a time, that is the limit.
On the sign-in page, ask for the code again or choose another sign-in method, and type the newest code you receive.
Where the code might still be
| How the code arrived | Where to look | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Text to an Android phone, shown by Phone Link | Phone Link > Messages | Shows texts from the last 30 days. On Android 15 and later, code notifications can be hidden from Phone Link |
| Text to an iPhone | Messages on the phone | Check the phone first |
| Your mail app or webmail inbox | The notification was only a preview of the message | |
| Message in a chat app on the PC | The conversation in that app | The message stays after its notification has gone |
| Authenticator app | The app on your phone | It shows the current code; there is nothing to recover |
| Any of these, as a Windows notification | Notification Center (Windows+N) | Only until it is cleared |
Microsoft says Phone Link shows text messages from the last 30 days. It also says Android 15 and later hide notifications containing two-factor and one-time codes from Phone Link, which then shows Sensitive notification content hidden. In that case the code never reached the PC, and you need to read it on the phone.
If the banner keeps closing before you can read it, the guide to notifications that disappear too fast shows how to keep banners on screen longer.
Never read a code out to anyone
A code is for you to type into a sign-in page you opened yourself. The FTC puts it plainly: anyone who asks for your verification code is a scammer, including people who say they have found a problem with your account and offer to help fix it.
If someone asks, end the call or chat. If you are worried about the account, contact the company using a number you already trust, such as the one in its app or on your statement.
A code you did not request is a reason to check that account. Do not forward the code. Sign in the usual way, not through a link in the message, and review the account's security settings.
A notification log keeps your codes on the PC
Notification Logger saves each notification's sender, time and text. If your codes arrive as Windows notifications, the history contains them. It is stored in the app's data on this PC, and the app does not send it anywhere. An export you save is a separate copy.
Think twice before logging codes if other people use your Windows account or know its password, or if the PC belongs to your employer and its rules cover where security codes may be kept.
The PIN lock in Settings > Security, Require PIN when opening the app, hides the history behind a PIN and can lock it again after 5, 30 or 60 minutes without activity. It protects the app window. It does not encrypt the stored history, so it does not stop someone who can browse the files of your Windows account.
An expired code cannot be used to sign in, but the entry still shows which services you use and when you signed in to them.
Remove codes from the log, or keep them out
Notification Logger cannot skip a particular app. It does let you remove what it has saved:
- Delete entries: select them and use Delete, from the toolbar or the keyboard, then confirm. Entries marked as favorite are kept until you clear the mark.
- Keep less history: in Settings > General, set Clean notifications older than to as little as 1 day. The default is 14. Older entries are removed when you open the app, select Refresh or change the setting.
To keep codes out of the log, stop them reaching Windows as notifications. Each of these also takes the code off your screen:
- Turn off notifications for that sender in Settings > System > Notifications.
- In Phone Link, turn phone notifications off or adjust them under Settings > Features > Notifications, as described in Microsoft's Phone Link notification guide.
- Turn off message previews in the app that sends the code, if it offers that option, so its notifications carry no text.
To stop logging altogether, remove the app's notification access; the guide to letting an app read your notifications shows where. For codes relayed from a phone, the Phone Link notification history guide covers what reaches Windows in the first place.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get back a 2FA code after its notification disappeared?
Why does Phone Link say Sensitive notification content hidden?
Should a notification logger keep my sign-in codes?
Someone asked me for the code I just received. What should I do?
Method note: Phone Link, Windows and code-expiry details were checked against Microsoft documentation, the FTC and RFC 6238. Notification Logger details were checked against the app's implementation.
Notification Logger keeps the text of Windows notifications on your PC, with controls to delete entries and limit how long history is kept.
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