Using two-factor authentication to sign in to Zendesk Support


Two-factor authentication makes it difficult for somebody else to sign in as you. After you enter your password as usual, you'll be asked to enter a passcode. You can get the passcode from your email, a text message (SMS), or a two-factor authentication app installed on your mobile device.


What's my plan?







All Suites

Team, Growth, Professional, Enterprise, or Enterprise Plus










Support

Team, Professional, or Enterprise







Summary: ◀▼
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a passcode after your password. You can receive passcodes via an authenticator app, email, or text message. Admins can require it for all agents, but you can also enable or disable it yourself if not required. Recovery codes help regain access if you lose your device or passcodes.





Location: Agent UI > User Avatar > View
Profile Page > Security Settings
Two-factor authentication makes it difficult for somebody else to sign in as you.
After you enter your password as usual, you'll be asked to enter a passcode.
You can get the passcode from your email, a text message (SMS), or a
two-factor authentication app installed on your mobile device.
An admin can require two-factor authentication for all agents and
administrators, but the admin can't set it up for them. If it's required,
you'll be prompted to set it up when you sign in. Even if it's not a
requirement, you can still set up two-factor authentication for your own
use.
Admins can refer to Managing two-factor
authentication to learn about important considerations before
turning it on.
This article covers the following topics:

Using a recovery code to regain access to your account
Turning on two-factor authentication

Configuring how you'd like to receive passcodes

Turning off two-factor authentication



Using a recovery code to regain access to your account

If you can't access your device or email account, you can use one of your
recovery codes to reaccess your account. Recovery codes are
displayed once upon initial setup of two-factor authentication. When
prompted for a passcode at sign-in, enter one of your recovery
codes.
You can only use each code once. If you use up all your codes or can't
find them, ask your Zendesk admin or account owner to get a recovery code for
you.



Turning on two-factor authentication

If two-factor authentication isn't required, you can turn it on for your
own use. After you turn it on, you'll be prompted for a passcode
every time you sign in.
To turn on two-factor authentication

In the Zendesk Support agent interface, click your user icon in
the upper right and select View profile.
Click the Security settings tab.
In the Two-factor Authentication section, click
Manage.
Click Set up 2FA.
Continue to the sections below, depending on how you'd like to
receive passcodes:
Receiving passcodes through an authenticator app
Receiving passcodes through email
Receiving passcodes through text message






Configuring how you'd like to receive passcodes

You can receive passcodes through a two-factor authentication app, email,
or text message.


Receiving passcodes through an authenticator app

To use an authenticator app to receive passcodes, you must
install a two-factor authentication app on your mobile
device. Two-factor authentication apps include Google Authenticator, Microsoft
Authenticator, Authy, Symantec VIP, and Duo Mobile.
The app displays a valid passcode on the opening screen. You
typically get 30 seconds to use it before it expires, then
the app displays a new passcode.


Note: You need to use the mobile
version of a two-factor authentication app, not a
desktop version.


To receive passcodes through an authenticator app
Select Authenticator app in the Set up
two-factor authentication (2FA) dialog, then click
Next. This dialog appears after turning
on 2FA, or upon sign-in when 2FA is
required.

You are directed to
the Connect your 2FA method step.


Start the two-factor authentication app on your
device, select the option to add an entry, and
point your device's camera at the QR code (the
blocky square) on the Zendesk dialog in your
browser window. The mobile app might refer to
this action as Scan Barcode.
The app
should automatically scan the QR code and generate
a passcode. If you have trouble scanning the QR
code, you can manually enter the secret key that's
provided. Scanning the barcode is a one-time-only
step.

Enter the passcode generated by the app, then
click Save.
Click Copy recovery codes and save them
in a safe location. If you lose your phone or
can't get a passcode, you must use a recovery
code to sign in.


From now on, when you sign in, you can get a valid passcode by
simply opening a two-factor authentication app on your
device. The app displays a valid passcode on the opening
screen. The app doesn't need an internet connection to
display valid passcodes.



Receiving passcodes through email

If you'd like to receive passcodes through email, you must
provide the email address where you'd like them sent.
To receive passcodes through email

Select Email in the Set up two-factor
authentication (2FA) dialog, then click
Next. This dialog appears after turning
on 2FA, or upon sign-in when 2FA is
required.

Enter an email address, then click Send passcode.
An email will be sent to the email address
shortly.

Enter the code sent to you, then click
Next. Email passcodes for 2FA are valid
for 60 seconds.

Click Copy recovery codes and save them in a safe
location. If you lose your phone or can't get a
passcode, you must use a recovery
code to sign in.
Click Done.




Receiving passcodes through text message


Note: Receiving passcodes through text message
isn't supported on trial accounts.
To receive passcodes through text message, make sure you include
a phone number that is eligible to receive the
transactional SMS messages. Some countries,
such as India, have restrictions.
For more information, see SMS
Guidelines.
To receive passcodes through text messages

Select SMS in the Set up two-factor
authentication (2FA) dialog, then click
Next. This dialog appears after turning
on 2FA, or upon sign-in when 2FA is
required.

Enter a phone number that can receive text messages,
then click Send passcode. A text message
will be sent to the number shortly.

Note: The phone number must be in
E.164 format.

Enter the code sent to you, then click
Save. SMS passcodes for 2FA are valid for
60 seconds.


Click Copy recovery codes and save them in a safe
location. If you lose your phone or can't get a
passcode, you must use a recovery
code to sign in.

From now on, when you sign in, you can get a valid passcode from
a text message sent to your phone.




Turning off two-factor authentication

If two-factor authentication is not a requirement, but you turned it on
anyway, you can turn it off.

In the Zendesk Support agent interface, click your user icon in
the upper right and select View profile.
Click the Security Settings tab.
In the Two-Factor Authentication section, click
Manage.
Click Turn off 2FA.



{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "TechArticle",
"@id": "https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829277466-Using-two-factor-authentication-to-sign-in-to-Zendesk-Support",
"url": "https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829277466-Using-two-factor-authentication-to-sign-in-to-Zendesk-Support",
"headline": "Using two-factor authentication to sign in to Zendesk Support",
"description": "You can enhance your account security by enabling two-factor authentication, which requires a passcode from an app, email, or text message after entering your password, and manage recovery codes for account access.",
"articleSection": "Customer management and profiles",
"datePublished": "2021-10-16T03:34:13+00:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-24T18:42:06.627030+00:00",
"inLanguage": "en-US",
"mainEntityOfPage": {
"@type": "WebPage",
"@id": "https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829277466-Using-two-factor-authentication-to-sign-in-to-Zendesk-Support"
},
"author": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Zendesk",
"url": "https://www.zendesk.com"
},
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Zendesk"
},
"isPartOf": {
"@type": "WebSite",
"name": "Zendesk Help",
"url": "https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us"
},
"about": {
"@type": "SoftwareApplication",
"name": "Zendesk"
}
}
//
const fast_path_style = document.createElement('style');
fast_path_style.innerHTML = `#article-body .fastpath{font-size:.9em;background-color:#f3f3f3;border:1px solid #d3d3d3;padding:10px 10px 8px;margin-bottom:16px}#article-body .fastpath::before{content:none!important}`;
document.head.appendChild(fast_path_style);
//

//
const ai_summary_style = document.createElement('style');
ai_summary_style.innerHTML = `#styled-article-body{padding:0 0 0}#article-body #docs-ai-summary{background-color:#f3f3f3;border:1px solid #d3d3d3;padding:10px 10px 6px;margin-bottom:16px}#article-body #docs-ai-summary #docs-ai-summary-toggle{font-size:.9em;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:4px;cursor:pointer;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center}#article-body #docs-ai-summary #docs-ai-summary-toggle #up-triangle{margin-left:auto;padding-right:10px;display:none}#article-body #docs-ai-summary #docs-ai-summary-toggle #down-triangle{margin-left:auto;padding-right:10px}#article-body #docs-ai-summary #docs-ai-summary-content{font-size:.9em;padding-left:25px;padding-right:25px;margin-bottom:12px}`;
document.head.appendChild(ai_summary_style);

const toggleAISummary = () => {
const summary = document.getElementById("docs-ai-summary-content");
const upTriangle = document.getElementById("up-triangle");
const downTriangle = document.getElementById("down-triangle");
if (summary.style.display === "none") {
summary.style.display = "block";
upTriangle.style.display = "none";
downTriangle.style.display = "inline";
} else {
summary.style.display = "none";
upTriangle.style.display = "inline";
downTriangle.style.display = "none";
}
};

document.getElementById("docs-ai-summary-toggle").addEventListener("click", toggleAISummary);
//

