Too many attempts, try again later means the app has stopped sending codes for a while, because codes were requested or typed wrong too often in a short time. The lock protects accounts from guessing. It ends on its own; until then, every new request is wasted. Here is how long the apps that publish a time say to wait.
Why apps lock the code request
Every code request costs the app a text message, and every wrong entry could be someone guessing their way into an account. So apps count both and pause when the count gets high.
- Many requests in a short time, for example tapping resend while the first text is still on its way.
- Wrong codes, such as an old code after a newer one was sent, or digits typed in a hurry.
- Leaving the screen before the check is finished; WhatsApp says the process can time out and has to start again.
- The number itself, when it has been used for many verifications already.
How long the wait lasts (only where the app says so)
| What you see | How long, per the app's help | |
|---|---|---|
| You have guessed the code too many times, or a countdown | The time WhatsApp shows; it says there is no way to make it faster | |
| Snapchat | Too many requests | 24 hours |
| Discord | Rate limit, or number recently used | 24 to 48 hours before verifying that number again |
| This phone number has been used too many times | Use another number; Google suggests 7 days without attempts first | |
| Telegram | Too many attempts | No time in Telegram's FAQ |
| TikTok, Instagram, Facebook | Too many attempts or try again later | No fixed time published |
Where an app publishes no time, nobody outside it knows the length. Pages that promise an exact number of minutes are guessing.
What makes it worse
- Requesting another code during the lock. It counts as one more attempt.
- Guessing. WhatsApp warns that guessing the registration code locks you out for a period of time.
- Typing an older code. Most apps accept only the newest one.
- Reinstalling the app or switching devices for a fresh start. None of the apps' help pages offers that as a fix; they all say to wait.
Trying again the right way
- Wait out the full time Use the time the app shows or the one in the table. If none is given, leave it for several hours.
- Check the other routes first Telegram often puts the code in the app on a device where you are already logged in, so look there before asking for an SMS.
- Make one request Then wait a couple of minutes. Do not ask for three codes in a row; services slow down repeated requests.
- Type the newest code once Copy it straight from the message rather than from memory.
- Choose a call if offered WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat and Google can read a code out by phone when a text does not come.
App by app: Telegram code not arriving, Snapchat code not coming, Instagram code not arriving.
Common questions
How long is the Telegram too many attempts lock?
Telegram's FAQ does not give a time. Wait several hours, and look in Telegram on your other devices, where the login code is often sent.
Can I skip the waiting time?
No. WhatsApp states it plainly: there is no way to make it faster. New requests during the lock only add attempts.
Does reinstalling the app reset the counter?
Not according to any of the apps' help pages. Each of them tells you to wait the time out instead.
Why did I get locked after only two tries?
Apps do not publish their limits, and some are low. Quick resends and mistyped codes both count towards them, and WhatsApp warns that guessing the code leads to a lock.