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Start by identifying whether you sign in with a Jagex Account or an older legacy RuneScape account: the recovery steps are different. Jagex Account holders reset the password for their Jagex login email and can use backup codes if an authenticator is unavailable. Legacy players recover with the account’s login username or email and may need to submit an account recovery appeal. Once you regain access, secure the email, devices, password and any linked sign-ins—not just the game account.
Choose the recovery route that matches your account
If you upgraded to a Jagex Account, use its login email and password. The RuneScape login details previously used for imported characters are replaced. If you never upgraded, use the legacy account process. Jagex’s “Can’t log in?” help page routes players to the relevant options.
| Account type | Sign-in detail | First recovery step | If the authenticator is unavailable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jagex Account | Jagex Account login email and password | Choose Forgot password on the Jagex Account sign-in page and request a reset email. | Use an unused Jagex Account backup code; if backup codes were the only sign-in method and are lost, contact Jagex Support. |
| Legacy RuneScape account | Login username for accounts created before November 2010; login email for accounts created later | Request a password reset using the account’s login username or email. | Follow the legacy authenticator instructions, or submit an account recovery request if you cannot access the registered email. |
Do not use your in-game display name as the login detail for a legacy account. Jagex describes the two recovery routes separately in its login help, Jagex Account recovery and legacy password reset pages.
How do I recover my Jagex Account?
Reset the password
- Open the Jagex Account sign-in page and select Forgot password.
- Enter the login email associated with the Jagex Account and request a reset.
- Check that email’s inbox and spam or junk folder for the reset message. The recovery link is valid for one hour; if it expires, request another.
- Use the link to choose a new password and sign in.
If you cannot access the email account itself, recover it through your email provider before trying to reset the Jagex Account password. Jagex does not recover access to your external email account.
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What if I forgot my login email?
Search email accounts you may have used for Jagex verification messages, and try addresses previously used for RuneScape characters. The Jagex Account login email can differ from the email once used to sign in to a legacy character. Jagex says it cannot disclose or change the Jagex Account email in this situation, so do not expect Support to reveal which address you used. See Jagex’s Jagex Account recovery guidance.
How do I recover a legacy RuneScape account?
Try the normal password reset first
Use the account’s login username if it was created before November 2010, or its login email if created later. The reset message goes to the email registered to that account. A display name is not a substitute for the login username or email. Follow Jagex’s legacy password reset instructions.
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Submit an account recovery appeal if the reset does not work
Use the full recovery appeal if the registered email has changed or is inaccessible, the reset email cannot be delivered, or an authenticator cannot be removed through the ordinary process. Provide as much accurate account information as you remember and enter the new email address requested for registration. Jagex says it aims to email the appeal outcome within 24 hours; this is a stated process expectation, not a guarantee that an appeal will succeed or that every response arrives within that time. Start from Jagex’s login help page and follow the recovery link for a legacy account.
Jagex may ask for existing recovery-question answers during legacy recovery, but those answers alone are not enough to recover an account. New recovery questions can no longer be set. Do not rely on them as your only recovery method; see Jagex’s recovery-question guidance.
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What if I lost my authenticator?
Jagex Account: use a backup code
If you know the password but cannot use the authenticator, enter an unused backup code when prompted. Jagex provides ten codes; each works once and bypasses two-step verification, granting full account access. After signing in, set up an authentication method you can use and generate replacement codes if needed. Store the codes securely and separately from the device running the authenticator. If backup codes were your only sign-in method and you have lost them, Jagex directs you to contact Support. The Jagex Account two-step authentication guide explains the codes and settings.
Legacy account: use the authenticator removal or recovery process
If you can access the registered email, follow Jagex’s legacy authenticator instructions to disable the authenticator by email. If you cannot access that email, submit an account recovery request first. When the authenticator app generates a code but Jagex rejects it, check that the phone and computer have matching, correct time and time-zone settings.
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How do I recover a hijacked RuneScape account?
A suspicious-login lock remains until the owner successfully recovers the account. Before recovery, secure the computer or mobile device you use to play. Then follow the appropriate route: Jagex Account recovery for Jagex Account holders, or the legacy recovery process for legacy accounts. Jagex’s Jagex Account recovery and login help outline those routes.
If a legacy recovery page says it cannot find the account, check the login detail before assuming the account is gone. If the detail is correct but recovery still cannot proceed, Jagex says an attacker may have hijacked the account and imported it into a Jagex Account. Contact Jagex Support in that case; the legacy reset flow may no longer find it.
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Set up two-step authentication after regaining access
Jagex calls this protection “two-step authentication.” Its guidance describes it as an extra layer requiring a security code at login. The setup differs by account type, and the authenticator helps only if the email, device and recovery methods are also protected.
Jagex Account
Two-step authentication is mandatory for Jagex Accounts; email codes are the default. You can enable an authenticator app and create backup codes in account management. Jagex names Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator as examples and describes cloud-sync options for restoring authenticator codes on a replacement device. Review the current two-step authentication settings and instructions after signing in.
Legacy RuneScape account
- Install an authenticator app. Jagex names Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator as recommended examples.
- Open account settings and choose Enable Authenticator.
- Scan the displayed QR code with the app, then enter the generated six-digit code to complete setup.
If you are changing phones, first check whether your authenticator app can transfer or restore its codes. Avoid disabling the working authenticator until you know you can sign in on the replacement device. Follow Jagex’s legacy authenticator instructions.
Post-recovery security checklist
- Choose a unique password. Jagex recommends not reusing it on other sites; for a Jagex Account, its guidance specifies a password length of 8–64 characters. A password manager can help manage unique passwords, but Jagex does not endorse a particular provider. See Jagex Account recovery and password guidance.
- Secure the linked email account. Use its security features and a unique password. If compromise is suspected, inspect filters and forwarding rules for changes you did not make. If the email is inaccessible, use the provider’s account recovery process.
- Keep authentication recovery usable. Enable an authenticator where appropriate, save backup codes separately and securely, and never share them.
- Review linked accounts. Remove any unrecognized Google, Steam or other linked login. Jagex warns that an attacker may retain access through an unknown linked account even after you change the password; see Jagex’s account security guidance.
- End unknown sessions. If someone else may still be signed in, end all active sessions using Jagex’s account security controls.
- Check the devices you use to play. Update operating systems and apps, and scan for malware if compromise is suspected. Jagex identifies keyloggers, malicious browser extensions and remote-access tools as possible causes of repeat hijacking.
- Consider a RuneScape Bank PIN. It adds a barrier and a delay before access to bank items; Jagex says its removal delay can be set to three or seven days. A Bank PIN protects in-game bank contents, not account sign-in or recovery. See Jagex’s Bank PIN guidance.
- Avoid phishing. Sign in through official Jagex or RuneScape pages and do not enter credentials on lookalike sites. Jagex warns about phishing pages and recommends using the official Launcher login; see Jagex’s account security guidance.
What two-step authentication does—and does not—protect
An authenticator adds a sign-in check, but it does not make every account takeover impossible. Jagex identifies physical access to a device, insecure authenticator backups, malware, reused passwords, phishing and a compromised email account as risks that can undermine account security. Protecting the email and devices, keeping recovery codes private, and removing unknown linked sign-ins address gaps an authenticator alone cannot close. Jagex’s two-step authentication guidance covers these security considerations.
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