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How to set up two factor authentication (2FA) via an authenticator app
How to set up two factor authentication (2FA) via an authenticator app

How to set up an authenticator app and enable two-factor authentication.

Yuan Wang avatar
Written by Yuan Wang
Updated over a week ago

To set up two-factor authentication in Studio Ninja,

  • Go to Settings > Account & Subscription

  • Scroll down to Two-factor Authentication, and toggle ON

  • A pop-up will appear. There are 3 steps that you will have to follow in order to complete the setup.

On Step 1 of this pop-up, you will be asked to use an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator to scan the QR code image or copy the secret code / key.

On Step 2, you will be required to set up your preferred security questions.

On Step 3, copy and paste a 6-digit code generated by the authenticator app.

NOTE: If you are integrated with Xero, two-factor authentication is mandated by Xero. This means you will be required to set it up. Once set up, you will not be able to disable it, unless you disconnect from Xero.

Using an authenticator app

There are three ways you can use an authenticator app:

Browser extension

  1. Go to your browser's extensions store to find an authenticator app. Examples include:

2. Choose a highly-rated, trusted authenticator app that you like. As an example, we have chosen Authenticator, an extension for Google Chrome.

3. Click "Add to Chrome" to add this extension.

4. In the top right corner of the Chrome browser where the extensions are, click the icon for Authenticator to open a pop-up panel.

5. Within the pop-up panel, click the icons in the top right to get to the screen where you can choose either "Scan QR Code" or "Manual Entry".

6. If you chose "Scan QR Code", make sure you align the scanning target with the QR code image shown on Step 1 of the "Set up Two-factor Authentication" pop-up.

7. Once the QR code has been scanned successfully, you will see a new record appear in the list of codes in the Authenticator pop-up panel.

TIP: Before you click "Next" to Step 2, you can use the same QR code to set up a second device (i.e. mobile app) so that there’s a fallback if you lost one device.

8. Copy and paste this 6-digit code once you have reached Step 3 of the "Set up Two-factor Authentication" pop-up.

Mobile app

Open the Google Play Store or the App Store and find a highly-rated, trusted authenticator app. Examples include Microsoft Authenticator and Google Authenticator.

Google Authenticator

  1. Once downloaded, open the app and click "Begin setup".

2. Click "Scan barcode".

3. Align the scanning target with the QR code image shown on Step 1 of the "Set up Two-factor Authentication" pop-up. Alternatively, enter the code manually.

4. Once the QR code has been scanned successfully, you will see a new record appear in the list of codes.

TIP: Before you click "Next" to Step 2, you can use the same QR code to set up a second device (i.e. desktop browser extension) so that there’s a fallback if you lost one device.

5. Copy and paste this 6-digit code once you have reached Step 3 of the "Set up Two-factor Authentication" pop-up.

Microsoft Authenticator

  1. Once downloaded, open the app and click "Add account".

2. Select "Other".

3. Align the scanning target with the QR code image shown on Step 1 of the "Set up Two-factor Authentication" pop-up. Alternatively, enter the code manually.

4. Once the QR code has been scanned successfully, you will see a new record appear in the list of codes under Accounts.

TIP: Before you click "Next" to Step 2, you can use the same QR code to set up a second device (i.e. desktop browser extension) so that there’s a fallback if you lost one device.

5. Copy and paste this 6-digit code once you have reached Step 3 of the "Set up Two-factor Authentication" pop-up.

Desktop app

As an example, we have chosen Authy (https://authy.com/).

  1. Download and install Authy.

  2. Launch App and click “+” button to add new record.

3. Authy does not have a QR scanner so you will need to copy and paste the long code from Step 1 of the "Set up Two-factor Authentication" pop-up. Click "Add Account" to proceed.

4. Name this account as "Studio Ninja", select a colour of your choice (such as "Generic Black") and "6-digit". Click "Save".

5. After saving successfully, you will see "Studio Ninja" in the list of Tokens.

TIP: Before you click "Next" to Step 2, you can use the same QR code to set up a second device (i.e. mobile app) so that there’s a fallback if you lost one device.

6. Click on "Studio Ninja". Copy and paste this 6-digit code once you have reached Step 3 of the "Set up Two-factor Authentication" pop-up.

FAQs

What if I lost my mobile phone?

If you lost your mobile phone, you might not be able to access your authenticator app. When you sign into your account and reach the 6-digit code screen, click on the reset link. You will need to answer at least two out of the three security questions correctly in order to successfully reset your two-factor authentication.

What if I cannot remember the answers to my security questions?

Please contact our customer support via the bottom-right chat icon, and we'll be able to help you reset your two-factor authentication.

Why am I getting an error message every time I input and apply a 6-digit code?

It is possible that the authenticator app you are using is not accepting the code because the date and/or time of your computer/device is not in sync with the world time. Authenticator apps and extensions follow the world time. If your device's time is not in sync with the world time, even by a few minutes, the code generated by the authenticator app/extension would always be considered as expired. Make sure that the date and/or time of your device/computer is in sync with the world time.

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