---
url: 'https://www.corbado.com/faq/phone-battery-dead-qr-passkey-authentication'
title: 'What if my phone battery dies during QR passkey authentication?'
description: 'If a phone battery dies during QR passkey authentication, users can fall back on synced passkeys, hardware security keys, or alternative authentication methods.'
lang: 'en'
keywords: 'phone battery dead'
---

# What if my phone battery dies during QR passkey authentication?

## What If My Phone Battery Dies During QR Passkey Authentication?

Passkeys often rely on **QR codes for cross-device authentication**, where a phone with
the passkey scans a [QR code](https://www.corbado.com/blog/qr-code-login-authentication) to authenticate on
another device. But what happens if your phone battery dies mid-process?

## Alternative Ways to Authenticate

If your phone battery dies while trying to authenticate via
[QR code](https://www.corbado.com/blog/qr-code-login-authentication), you can use the following methods:

- **Synced Passkeys**: If your passkeys are stored in **Google Password Manager, iCloud
  Keychain, or another cloud service**, you can access them directly from another
  logged-in device.
- **Hardware Security Keys**: If you have a **FIDO2 hardware security key (e.g., YubiKey,
  Titan Key)**, you can use it instead of your phone to authenticate.
- **Platform-Specific Authentication**: If the device you are trying to log in to supports
  **Windows Hello, Face ID, or Touch ID**, you may be able to authenticate without the QR
  code.
- **Backup Device**: If you have another device (tablet, secondary phone) with access to
  your passkeys, you can scan the [QR code](https://www.corbado.com/blog/qr-code-login-authentication) from
  there.

## Best Practices to Prevent Lockouts

To avoid authentication issues due to a dead phone battery:

- **Ensure your passkeys are synced to a cloud service**, allowing access from multiple
  devices.
- **Carry a hardware security key** as a backup authentication method.
- **Charge your primary authentication device** or keep a power bank handy to prevent
  disruptions.

While QR passkey authentication provides a seamless login experience, having **fallback
authentication methods** ensures you're never locked out due to unexpected issues like a
dead phone battery.

## Read the full article