How to get two-factor authentication code if I lost my iPhone?

If you open Find My on another device, then go to Me, for you to be able to enter your Apple ID and password, I don't believe you should see the 2FA. However, you can also go on a computer, go to www.iCloud.com/find and it should allow you to log into a browser without asking for the 2FA either.

This support articles covers other methods to receive the verification code:

• Get a verification code and sign in with two-factor authentication - Apple Support

So I had become locked out of my Apple account back when it was the older two-step verification. Unfortunately I no longer had the same debit card, phone number or registered device—wait no I had the payment method. I assumed a recovery process must be available as various circumstances will result in having an inability to verify as required. After contacting Apple customer service multiple times for assistance with increasingly confrontational hostility (Apple effectively held all App Store and media content I purchased) it eventually became clear Apple was not going to help me, my recourse was ultimately going to be filing in conciliation court to recover my digital property or the value of those purchases if Apple literally was just not capable or willing to help.

As this was a months long process, before fully resolving to file a court claim, I thought about how long I had been attempting to regain access at that point. Definitely more than 6 months time, likely much closer to a full year—having to basically face this failure and/or defeat. For all intents and purposes I accepted that I lost my Apple ID account. Late one random evening I thought about the recycling process phone companies are required to follow after terminating a particular service line, to my understanding old numbers are suspended from being reissued to a new party for a term of six months—surely my old phone number would have been put back into service by then. Approximately 11:30 PM, a text message was drafted and sent soliciting this unknown person to help me get back into my account, when I awoke the next morning and checked my phone, sadly no response was made. After sending another request that morning, I was elated to see my old number pop up in a notification with an indication of their willingness to help me.

To the best of my knowledge this workaround is the only functional process that could recover an Apple ID secured via two-step authentication absent of having the working knowledge in programming to literally hack Apple to get it back. From what I’ve read on the new two-factor authentication it seems Apple now has a recovery process established that enables valid parties a way to regain access to an account they can no longer meet the verification requirements. That’s all well and good and everything, what was concerning was this new stipulation that after enrolling in two-factor verification one did not have an option to opt-out or cancel in the future, ever.

Naturally my experience created a very strong opposition to the idea of ever entering into another two-step verification process. Most likely I will end up setting up the service if for no other reason than the Apple credit card ‘requires’ enrollment.