<aside> <img src="/icons/book-closed_blue.svg" alt="/icons/book-closed_blue.svg" width="40px" /> MuckRock’s User Guide gives you everything to make the most out of MuckRock’s suite of tools. If this has helped you, consider donating to support our work!
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If this is your first time setting up two-factor authentication for an account, here’s a quick introduction to some of the concepts you’ll need to understand to get up-and-running.
Two-factor authentication, often abbreviated as 2FA, strengthens your login by requiring a second piece of information (or “factor”) to log in, in addition to your password. We strongly encourage MuckRock users adopt two-factor authentication to protect any sensitive data that may be stored on your accounts.
We recommend these two excellent fact sheets for more information on two-factor authentication and why it is important:
Usually when scanning a QR code, you’ll simply open your phone’s camera. However, in order to correctly scan the code for setting up 2FA, you’ll likely have to have installed a mobile app that provides 2FA functionality.
We recommend using a mobile app, such as 2FAS or Google Authenticator. Both of these apps are available for both iOS and Android.
Many password managers now support one-time passcodes used with two-factor authentication. 1Password and Apple Passwords both provide built-in support for scanning QR codes and generating the one-time use codes for signing into your account. Many other popular password managers provide this functionality, too.
When you have 2FA enabled on your account, you’ll be asked to provide a code when signing in. An app on your secondary device—which will most likely be your phone—will generate a secure code on-the-fly for signing in.
If you used your phone’s built-in functionality when enabling 2FA on your account: