Accessing help center with two-factor authentication

Verified AI summary ◀▼
Enhance your account security with two-factor authentication by requiring a passcode, in addition to your password, for sign-in. Choose to receive passcodes via an authenticator app or email. If needed, you can disable the feature or use recovery codes if you lose access to your device. Remember, each recovery code is single-use, and losing them may result in account access loss.




Two-factor authentication enhances security by adding an extra layer of protection, making it
difficult for somebody else to sign in as you. When two-factor authentication is turned
on, end users are asked to enter a passcode after entering their password when signing
in.
End users can get the passcode from a two-factor authentication app installed on their
mobile device. End users cannot use Short Message Service (SMS) for two-factor
authentication.
If two-factor authentication is required, you'll be prompted to set it up when you sign
in. Even if it's not a requirement, you can still set it up for your own use.
If you're an agent, see Using two-factor authentication to sign in to Zendesk
Support to learn how to turn on two-factor authentication in the Zendesk
Support agent interface.
This article covers the following topics:

Turning on two-factor authentication
Receiving passcodes through an authenticator app
Turning off two-factor authentication
Using and getting more recovery codes



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
Click your profile icon on the upper-right side of any help center page,
then click Profile to display your profile.
Click Edit profile.
Click Manage 2FA.

Click Set up 2FA. The following dialog appears, prompting you to
select your preferred method for receiving passcodes.


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 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, Authy, Microsoft Authenticator, 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 configure an authenticator app to receive passcodes
The Set up two-factor authentication (2FA) page displays after turning on
2FA, or upon sign-in when 2FA is required. Click Next to confirm
you've installed an authenticator app on your mobile device. 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.




Turning off two-factor authentication

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

Click your profile icon on the upper-right side of any help center page, then
click Profile to display your profile.
Click Edit profile.
Click Manage 2FA.
Click Turn off 2FA.




Using and getting more recovery codes

If you lose your phone or can't access your device, you can use one of your recovery
codes to access your account again. When prompted for a passcode at sign-in, enter
one of your recovery codes. You can only use each code once.
If two-factor authentication is required and you lost or used all of your recovery
codes, you have lost access to your account. You must create a new account to regain
access to help center.
If two-factor authentication is not required but you turned it on anyway, you
can get another set of recovery codes from your user profile page by turning off two-factor
authentication and then turning it on again.



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