How to Use an Authenticator App

To use an authenticator app, connect the app to the account in its security settings, then enter the temporary code shown in the app when you sign in. Keep the account setup screen open until the authenticator app generates a code and the account accepts it.

What does an authenticator app do?

An authenticator app generates short, time-based verification codes on a phone or another supported device. A code normally changes at regular intervals, so use the code currently displayed rather than one you copied earlier.

These codes are commonly used for two-factor authentication, or 2FA. Two-factor authentication asks for a password and a second form of proof, making a password alone insufficient for access.

Before setup, have the following ready:

• The device containing the authenticator app.
• Access to the account and its security settings.
• The account password, if the security page asks you to confirm it.
• An approved backup verification method, when the account requires one.
• A safe place to store any backup codes provided during setup.

Do not share the QR code, setup key, verification codes, or backup codes. Anyone who obtains this information may be able to generate or use codes for the account.

How do you set up an authenticator app?

The exact labels differ by account and authenticator app, but setup normally begins in the account’s security or sign-in settings. Look for two-factor authentication, two-step verification, verification methods, or authenticator app.

1. Sign in to the account through its official app or open {site}, then open the account security settings.
2. Choose the option to add or set up an authenticator app.
3. Complete any password or identity check requested by the account.
4. Keep the QR code or setup key visible on the setup screen.
5. Open the authenticator app and choose its option for adding an account.
6. Scan the QR code. If scanning is unavailable, enter the displayed setup key manually.
7. Find the new account entry in the authenticator app and enter its current code on the account setup screen.
8. Wait for confirmation that the authenticator app was added before closing the setup screen.

If the account provides backup codes, save them somewhere secure and separate from the device running the authenticator app. Do not treat setup as complete until the account confirms the code.

How do you use an authenticator app verification code?

When sign-in asks for an authenticator code, open the authenticator app and find the entry matching the account. Check the account name or identifier carefully if the app contains several entries.

1. Start signing in with the usual username and password.
2. At the verification step, open the authenticator app.
3. Read the current code beside the correct account entry.
4. Enter the code exactly as displayed, without adding spaces unless the sign-in form does so automatically.
5. Submit the code before it changes.

Time-based codes periodically change because the authenticator app calculates them from the shared setup information and the current time. A code that disappears from the app may already be expired. If the countdown is nearly finished, wait for the next code and enter that one promptly.

This is how to use the authenticator app during a normal sign-in: the code comes from the app itself rather than from a text message or email.

How do you add an account manually without scanning a QR code?

Manual setup connects an authenticator app by using the text setup key shown by the account. Use manual entry when the QR code is on the same phone, the camera cannot scan it, or the account offers only a key.

1. On the account setup screen, look for an option to display a setup key or enter a code manually.
2. In the authenticator app, choose the general option for adding an account with a setup key.
3. Enter a clear account label so you can identify the code later.
4. Type or paste the setup key exactly, including every letter and number.
5. If asked for a code type, follow the account setup screen’s instructions; do not guess.
6. Save the entry, then enter the generated verification code on the account setup screen.

Authenticator apps do not all use identical menu labels. Look for wording about adding an account, entering a key, or manual setup rather than expecting one specific button name.

What should you do when an authenticator code does not work?

An authenticator code can fail because it expired, the device time is wrong, or the code belongs to a different account entry. Repeated guesses may trigger additional security checks, so check the likely causes first.

1. Confirm that you selected the correct account entry in the authenticator app.
2. Wait for a fresh code if the previous code was close to changing.
3. Enter the new code carefully and submit it once.
4. Set the device’s date, time, and time zone to update automatically, then reopen the authenticator app.
5. If duplicate entries exist, use the entry created during the most recent successful setup.
6. Return to the sign-in screen and use another verification method only if the account offers and approves it.

Approved alternatives may include a backup code, a prompt on another signed-in device, a security key, text verification, or email verification. Availability depends on the account. Never use instructions that claim to bypass the account’s verification process.

How can you restore access if the authenticator app is unavailable?

If the phone is lost, replaced, damaged, or erased, use a recovery method already connected to the account. Installing an authenticator app on a new device does not automatically recreate the old account entries unless a supported transfer or recovery method was previously configured.

1. Try a saved backup code and mark it as used if backup codes are single-use.
2. Check another device where the account is already signed in, then review the account’s security settings for an approved way to add the replacement device.
3. Use a recovery method shown on the official sign-in screen.
4. If no recovery option works, contact the account provider through its official support process and complete the identity checks it requests.

Do not remove a working authenticator entry or erase the old device until the replacement has been added and tested, when the old device is still available. Knowing how to use an authenticator app includes keeping backup codes secure and reviewing recovery methods before access is lost.