Frequently Asked Question

How to enable the Google Authenticator App for Two-factor authentication on Wordpress
Last Updated 4 years ago

If you are interested in switching the two-factor authentication to using the Google Authenticator App to receive your codes, there are a few steps you will have to follow to set this up.

Step 1: Install the app (if you don't already have it)

The first step is ensuring you have the app on your smart phone. The app is available for both Android and iOS. Here are the links:
Apple U.S.: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-authenticator/id388497605
Apple NL: https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/google-authenticator/id388497605

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.authenticator2&hl=en&gl=US

Step 2: Go to your website's user profile

Go to your website's login screen. Normally this is achieved by adding /wp-admin behind of the link. Example: yourwebsite.here/wp-admin
After logging in, if you look to the top right of the screen you should see the following (the name will of course be different):

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Go ahead and click on your name. This will take you directly to your
user profile. Once in your profile, please scroll down until you see Two-Factor Options. It looks like this:

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Step 3: Enable in the Google Authenticator App

Pull up your phone and open the Google Authenticator App. Once open, you will see a multi-colored Plus symbol in the bottom right hand corner of the screen:

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Go ahead and

click on this Plus. Once you do, you will get two options:

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1. Scan a QR code
2. Enter a setup key

As you can see in the
Two-Factor options, there is a QR code already there. Below the QR code
there is also the setup key. In this example, we are going to use the QR
code. To enable the site in the App, please do the following:

1. Check the box to Enable the Google Authenticator App (arrow # 1)
2. in the Authenticator App, please choose "Scan a QR code"
3. Your Camera will now come up. Please hold this over the QR code on the screen (arrow # 2)
4.
The app will now give you a code. This code consists of 6 numbers.
Please fill this code in to the box on the website screen marked
"Authentication Code" (arrow # 3)
5. Once entered, click on Submit

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If done successfully, the screen should change and look like this:

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To set the Google Authenticator as main method of logging in, please click the circle under Primary, then scroll to the bottom and click on Update User.

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