Start at the official SSA my Social Security page, then choose Login.gov or ID.me to create or access your account. You must be at least 18 and should have a valid email address and your Social Security number ready. SSA generally directs people in the United States who are unsure which service to use to Login.gov; people with a foreign mailing address must use ID.me under SSA’s March 2026 account guide.
The account can expose earnings, benefit and tax information, so use a unique password, enroll in a supported multifactor authentication (MFA) method, and ignore unexpected messages asking for personal details. A mobile phone is optional for authentication: SSA also identifies security keys, landlines and backup codes as alternatives.
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What a my Social Security account is and why it matters
my Social Security is the Social Security Administration’s online account for viewing and managing information tied to your record. You authenticate through Login.gov or ID.me, while SSA provides the account services and records.
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Depending on your status and location, SSA lists these capabilities:
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- Request a replacement Social Security card where that service is available.
- Submit online forms and upload documents.
- Check the status of an application.
- View benefit estimates and your Social Security Statement.
- Review recorded earnings and report or correct information through the available SSA process.
- Manage direct-deposit details and your address or telephone information.
- Retrieve tax forms and benefit letters.
- Use the account’s security settings and notification options.
Availability is not identical for every person. SSA can limit a service based on your benefit status, record or location, so an option missing from your account does not necessarily indicate an error.
What you need before you start
| Requirement or decision | What SSA’s guidance says | Practical preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Age | You must be at least 18. | Parents or guardians cannot create a standard personal account for a child under 18. |
| A valid email address is required. | Use an inbox you can access now. You will need it for provider sign-in and account recovery. | |
| Social Security number | SSA’s account guide lists a Social Security number among the information to have ready. | Keep your card or another reliable record nearby, but do not send the number in response to an unsolicited email. |
| Mailing address | SSA’s March 2026 guide directs customers with a foreign mailing address to ID.me. | If your mailing address is outside the United States, select ID.me rather than trying to force the Login.gov route. |
| Identity verification | The selected provider performs a one-time identity-verification process. | Have a current government-issued photo ID available. Screens and accepted documents are controlled by the provider and can change. |
| Authentication method | SSA lists a security key, landline or backup codes as possible alternatives to a mobile phone. | Decide which method you can reliably use if your phone is lost, replaced or unavailable. |
Do not create duplicate provider accounts just to test both choices. If you already have a Login.gov or ID.me account, SSA says you can use those existing credentials.
Choose Login.gov or ID.me
SSA’s comparison is a routing guide, not a general ranking of which company has the strongest security. Choose the provider that fits your address, existing credentials and available verification method.
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| Question | Login.gov | ID.me |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is intended for in SSA’s comparison | Identified as a government sign-in service and the choice suitable for most users in the United States. | Identified as a service used by government agencies and private companies and suitable for users inside or outside the United States. |
| Foreign mailing address | Not the route SSA’s March 2026 guide directs for a foreign mailing address. | SSA says customers with a foreign mailing address must register and sign in with ID.me. |
| If you already have credentials | Use your existing Login.gov account. | Use your existing ID.me account. |
| Items listed in SSA’s current comparison | Email, a government-issued photo ID and a phone number. | Email, a government-issued photo ID and a camera-equipped device. |
| Best first choice when you are in the United States and unsure | SSA says to continue with Login.gov. | Use this route when it matches your existing credentials or your address and verification situation. |
The phone details in the comparison do not mean a phone number is universally mandatory at every stage. SSA’s separate phone-access FAQ says you can create a provider account without a phone number and names no-phone MFA methods. A provider may still ask for a number in a particular verification or recovery step, so follow the current prompts for the route you select.
How to create or connect the account
- Navigate directly to SSA. Type https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ into your browser, or use a bookmark you created from that page. Avoid starting from an unexpected email or text link.
- Select Login.gov or ID.me. Use Login.gov for most U.S. users who are uncertain. Select ID.me if you have a foreign mailing address, as directed by SSA’s March 2026 guide, or if your existing credentials are with ID.me.
- Sign in or create the provider account. Enter the email and password for an existing account, or choose the provider’s create-account option. Use an email inbox you control and a password that you do not reuse elsewhere.
- Complete identity verification. The provider will guide you through its one-time identity-proofing process. SSA’s comparison says Login.gov users should have a government-issued photo ID and phone number available; for ID.me it lists a government-issued photo ID and a camera-equipped device. The provider controls the exact screens, documents and fallback methods, so use its current help instructions if a step fails.
- Return to SSA’s flow. After provider authentication, follow the prompts that send you back to my Social Security. Read and accept any SSA terms or final account prompts shown on the screen.
- Confirm the account opens correctly. You should reach the my Social Security dashboard rather than a generic provider profile. If the handoff loops or ends in an error, do not create another account immediately; contact the provider first and then SSA if the problem concerns electronic access.
- Record recovery information safely. Save your provider’s recovery instructions and any backup codes in a password manager or another secure location that is not stored only on the phone used for MFA.
Identity verification is generally a one-time step, but a provider can request additional checks after a password, email, phone or security change. That request is not a reason to email your documents to someone who contacts you unexpectedly; use the provider’s official sign-in and help channels.
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Secure the account with MFA
MFA adds a second proof after your password. After you reach the dashboard, open the account or security settings offered by the provider and select a method you can maintain over time. The exact labels and enrollment screens are provider-controlled.
Security key
A hardware security key can be used as an MFA method where the selected provider and account flow support it. “FIDO2 security key” is a useful generic search term if you are comparing devices, but SSA’s guidance does not establish that every FIDO2 key works with every Login.gov or ID.me flow. A key is optional, not a requirement for creating the account.
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SSA identifies a landline as one possible alternative to a mobile-phone method. Availability can depend on the provider’s current enrollment choices and whether the call-based method is offered for your account.
Backup codes
Backup codes can provide access when your usual factor is unavailable. Generate them through the provider’s security settings if offered, print or store them securely, and treat each code as sensitive. Do not keep the only copy on a device that could be lost with your phone.
Use a second recovery method when available
If the provider offers more than one supported recovery method, consider enrolling a second option after the first works. This reduces the chance that a lost phone, failed key or inaccessible email leaves you locked out. Do not claim a method is available until it appears in your provider’s current settings.
If you do not want to use a cell phone
SSA’s phone-access FAQ specifically addresses people who do not want to enter a cell-phone number. A phone number is not the only way to authenticate: the FAQ names a security key, landline and backup codes as alternatives. Which choices appear depends on whether you use Login.gov or ID.me and on that provider’s current rules.
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SSA’s comparison lists a phone number for Login.gov and a camera-equipped device for ID.me, while the separate FAQ says a phone number is not required to create a provider account. These statements describe different stages and should not be treated as a contradiction: an account-creation screen, an identity-proofing step and an MFA enrollment screen can request different information.
If a provider’s current process presents a requirement you cannot meet, use that provider’s official help center for an alternative path. SSA can assist with SSA account access, but it does not control the provider’s password, identity-proofing or MFA enrollment screens.
What to do after losing or changing your phone
Start with the provider you selected. SSA says that for accounts created on or after September 18, 2021, Login.gov or ID.me should handle problems involving a password, email address, phone number, MFA or identity proofing. Use the provider’s current recovery process rather than repeatedly guessing codes.
SSA notes that some older accounts may allow a user to update the phone number in my Social Security security settings when that number was the MFA method. Sign in through an available factor, open the security settings and look for the phone-update option. If you cannot authenticate, the provider must generally resolve the sign-in problem first.
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Once you regain access, remove an obsolete number, add a supported replacement method and regenerate or replace backup codes if the old set may have been exposed. Review recent account activity and your contact information for changes you did not make.
Recognize phishing and protect your personal information
Social Security records contain identity and financial information, so treat every unexpected contact as untrusted until you independently verify it.
- Start at SSA.gov. If a message claims you must act, close it and type the SSA address yourself or use a bookmark. Do not rely on the link supplied in the message.
- Check the sender, but do not treat it as proof. SSA says most Social Security emails come from a .gov address and identifies several official sending addresses. A sender address alone can be forged or displayed misleadingly.
- Never answer an email asking for personal information. SSA says reputable businesses and public agencies will not request personal information by email. Do not reply with your Social Security number, password, one-time code, photo ID or bank details.
- Do not disclose MFA codes. A legitimate support agent should not need a code that was sent to you to “verify” an unsolicited call or message.
- Inspect the destination before signing in. A page that imitates SSA or a provider can steal credentials even when its design looks familiar. Navigate independently instead.
- Use unique credentials. Keep the provider password separate from your email password and other financial accounts. A password manager can generate and store a long, unique password.
SSA’s Message Center email or text notifications can be enabled as courtesy notifications when offered. They can alert you to some account events, but they are not a guarantee that every misuse will be detected. Continue to review the account itself.
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After setup, inspect your profile, contact information, direct-deposit details and earnings history. SSA presents earnings review and account activity checks as ways to help protect your identity; reviewing them does not itself prevent fraud.
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- Check direct-deposit information for an account or routing change you did not authorize.
- Review earnings for an employer or amount you do not recognize.
- Look for unfamiliar application, document-upload or profile activity.
- Keep tax forms, benefit letters and other downloaded records in a secure location.
If you find an incorrect earnings entry or another record problem, follow the correction or contact instructions shown by SSA. If you suspect someone has gained electronic access, change the provider password after securing your account and ask SSA about blocking or other access controls.
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Who handles each kind of problem?
| Problem | First contact | What that organization can address |
|---|---|---|
| Forgotten password or email, lost MFA method, phone change, identity-proofing failure | Login.gov or ID.me, whichever you selected | Provider credentials, password reset, email and phone recovery, MFA and identity-proofing issues. |
| Need electronic access blocked or unblocked | SSA | SSA can help block or unblock electronic access and can deactivate an account in applicable situations. |
| Need phone identification verification | SSA | SSA says it can provide phone identification verification for most users. |
| Cannot create an account | Your local Social Security office | SSA’s February 25, 2026 FAQ says an appointment is required when you cannot create an account. |
| General SSA assistance | SSA at 1-800-772-1213; TTY 1-800-325-0778 | Phone assistance is listed Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. |
Tell the support representative which provider you selected and describe the exact screen or error. Do not email a password, one-time code or identity document unless you are following a verified, official submission process presented after you independently navigate to the service.
When a security key makes sense
A security key can be useful if you do not want to depend on a cell phone, regularly travel without reliable mobile service or want a physical factor kept in a secure place. It is not required: a landline or backup codes may meet your needs, and the provider must support the key in the specific account flow.
Before buying one, confirm in the selected provider’s current help documentation that the key type, connector and operating system are supported. SSA’s account instructions do not endorse a brand or guarantee compatibility. Keep a backup authentication method so a misplaced key does not become the only route into the account.
A short maintenance checklist
- Bookmark the official SSA my Social Security page and open it directly.
- Use one provider account; do not create duplicates without a specific reason.
- Keep your email, password and recovery information current.
- Enroll at least one MFA method you can access without relying on a single device.
- Store backup codes securely and replace them if they may have been exposed.
- Review contact details, direct deposit, earnings and unfamiliar activity periodically.
- Ignore unsolicited requests for personal information and never share one-time codes.
- Contact Login.gov or ID.me for provider sign-in problems, and SSA for blocking, unblocking, deactivation or SSA-record issues.
The safest setup is the one you can recover: choose the route SSA assigns to your address, finish the provider’s identity check through its own site, add a supported MFA alternative and return to SSA directly whenever you need the account.
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