Setting up two-factor authentication
Adding an authenticator app to your sign-in, keeping your recovery codes safe, and what to do if you lose your device.
This article is for members of an organisation that uses Portava.
In short
- Turn it on from Settings, then Account. Any authenticator app works.
- Recovery codes are shown once. Save them somewhere safe.
- Some organisations require two-factor authentication before you can enter the portal.
Two-factor authentication adds a code from an authenticator app to your password, so a password alone is not enough.
Turning it on
Go to Settings, then Account, and find Two-factor authentication. Choose Turn on and confirm your password. Scan the QR code with any authenticator app, or type the key in by hand, then enter the 6-digit code the app shows to finish.
Your recovery codes are then shown once. Copy them somewhere safe. Each works once and is never shown again. New recovery codes issues a fresh set and stops the old ones working.
You get an email whenever it is turned on or off, so you know if it was not you.
Signing in
After your password, enter the current code from your app. Codes change every 30 seconds. On a device that is yours alone, tick Trust this device for 30 days.
Google sign-in relies on Google's own security instead of a code. An email link is not offered once two-factor authentication is on, since a link would bypass it.
If your organisation requires it
Some organisations require it for everyone, or for administrators and content managers. If yours does, you are taken to a Secure your account page on your way in until it is set up.
If you lose your device
Choose Lost your device? Use a recovery code when signing in and enter a saved code, then set up your new device from Settings. With no codes left, ask your organisation: Portava can reset it on your account, and you get an email when that happens.