Login.gov Authentication App Login Help
Sign In With an Authentication App
Open {site} and select Sign In. Enter the email address and password connected to your Login.gov account. After Login.gov accepts them, it asks for one of the authentication methods already set up on the account.
Select Authentication application. The wording may vary slightly, but choose the option for codes generated by an app. Do not choose text message, security key, or another method unless that method is also connected to your account and you want to use it instead.
The authentication app for Login.gov is separate from the Login.gov sign-in page. It generates a short, temporary code on the device where you originally configured it. You usually do not need mobile service to generate this code.
Enter the Authentication Code
- Open the authentication app configured for your Login.gov account.
- Find the entry labeled Login.gov. If the app contains several Login.gov entries, identify the one connected with the account you are trying to access.
- Read the current Login.gov authentication code. A timer or changing symbol may show how long the code remains valid.
- Return to the sign-in screen and enter the code before it changes.
- Select the button to submit the code.
If the code is close to changing, wait for the next one and enter that fresh code. Type only the current code shown by the app. A code copied earlier may already have expired.
This is the normal authentication app for Login.gov sign-in process. Login.gov will not accept a code generated for another website, another account entry, or an old setup.
Set Up an Authentication App
To set up an authentication app with Login.gov, begin while signed in or during the official account-creation flow. Go to the area for adding or changing authentication methods, then select Authentication application. Follow the instructions shown by Login.gov rather than adding an entry to the app without starting the official setup.
Login.gov displays a QR code and may also provide a setup key for manual entry. In the authentication app, choose the option to add an account. Scan the QR code with the app, or enter the displayed setup key if scanning is unavailable. Do not scan the code with an ordinary camera unless the on-screen instructions specifically direct you to do so.
The login.gov authenticator app entry will begin generating temporary codes. Enter the current code on the Login.gov setup screen to confirm that the connection works. Setup is not complete until Login.gov accepts this code.
Save any backup codes Login.gov provides. Keep them somewhere secure and separate from the phone or device running the app. Each backup code may have limited use, so follow the account instructions after using one. Adding another permitted authentication method can also reduce the risk of losing access.
Fix Invalid or Missing Codes
If the Login.gov authentication app is not working, do not keep submitting the same number. Check these common causes:
Expired code: Wait for a new code, then enter it promptly.
Wrong account entry: Confirm that the code comes from the Login.gov entry associated with the email address being used.
Incorrect device time: Set the device date, time, and time zone to update automatically. Authentication codes depend on accurate time.
Typing error: Re-enter the code carefully without extra spaces.
Old configuration: If Login.gov was removed and added again, an older app entry may still appear. Use the entry from the setup that the account currently recognizes.
Lost or replaced device: Installing the same app on a new device does not necessarily restore the configured Login.gov entry.
When a Login.gov authenticator code is not working, let the code change once, verify the device time, and try the new code. Avoid repeated rapid attempts. If another authentication method is already attached to the account, return to the method-selection screen and use that option.
Recover Access to Login.gov
If the authentication app and backup codes are unavailable, first look for another authentication method that was previously added to the account. The sign-in screen may offer a link to choose another method. Only methods already connected to the account can be used for this purpose.
If no configured method is available, follow the account-recovery guidance shown by Login.gov. Depending on the account and available verification options, the official process may direct you through additional steps or explain how to delete and recreate the Login.gov account. Recreating an account does not guarantee that access to every connected government service will be restored automatically.
Do not create a second account merely to avoid two-factor authentication. Do not ask another person for their code or attempt to reuse a QR code from a different account. Login.gov two-factor authentication app checks are designed to confirm possession of a method previously registered to the account.
If access is restored, review the authentication methods, remove entries for devices you no longer control, and securely save new backup codes.
Contact Official Login.gov Support
Use the Help or Contact section reached from the official Login.gov page. Check that the page clearly belongs to Login.gov before submitting a request. Describe whether you can enter your password, whether the Login.gov authentication code is rejected or missing, and which other configured methods remain available.
You may include the email address connected to the account when the verified support form requests it. Never send your password, a current authentication code, backup codes, QR code, setup key, Social Security number, or photographs of identity documents through an unverified message. Support should not need a temporary code to explain the official recovery options.