How does Authenticator App 2FA work?

When you enable Authenticator app based 2FA, you will be required to use an Authenticator app on your smartphone each time you login to Encyro. You may install the required app for free if you are not already using an authenticator app for other logins.

After you enter your password to login, you will be asked to enter the numeric code displayed for your Encyro account in the Authenticator app. This numeric code changes frequently and so you must open the app at the time of login and enter the latest code displayed.

The security benefit is that in addition to your password, access to your device where you installed the Authenticator app is also required.

Enable Authenticator App based 2FA

1. Login to your Encyro account, and click Settings, and then Account Security. Look under Two Factor Authentication and find the item “Auhenticator App.” Click on Turn on to the right of that item.

2. At that point, you will be asked to install a suitable Authenticator app. You may already be using an Authenticator app for your other logins and you may use the same one. If not, you may install “Authy” (since it offers a cloud backup option, which is usefulo if your device is lost or stops working) or any of the other available authenticator apps by visiting iOS App Store or Android Play Store.

   1. We recommend that you have at least 2 devices with the authenticator app installed. This ensures that in case your primary device is damaged or lost, you have a backup device to use for the login. Once authenticator app based 2FA is enabled, you will not be able to login without your 2FA device even if you reset your password. For instance, you may use your spouse’s phone, an iPad, or even your computer as the second device. See this article for authenticator app options for different types of devices.

3. Once you have the Authenticator app installed and opened on your mobile (or other) devices, click App is Installed.

4. On the next screen you will be shown a QR code (a black and white image with a unique design).

   1. Below the QR code, there will be a line like “If you installed the authenticator app on your computer…” with a long code at the end. This code is needed if you installed the Authenticator app on a device without a camera, or on the same computer that you are working on making it hard to point its camera at the screen.

5. With the QR code open on your computer screen, go to the Authenticator app on your mobile (or other) device. Click the option to add a new account. The steps below are for the Google Authenticator app, similar steps may be followed in the authenticator app you installed.

   1. If you just installed Google Authenticator (and have not added any other accounts to it so far), click/tap Begin Setup and select the option Scan Barcode.
   2. If you have other accounts in your Google Authenticator app already, click/tap the + (plus) sign near the top right, and then select Scan Barcode.
   3. Then point the device’s camera at the QR code displayed by Encyro on your computer screen.
   4. If your device does not have a camera or the camera is difficult to point at the current screen, then select the option for manual entry and copy paste the long string code displayed below the QR code.

6. Once the Authenticator app scans the QR code, it will show a new entry in your list of accounts within the app (you may just have one entry if this is the first account you added). The account entry should say “Encyro” followed by a six digit numeric code. Below the code you will see the email address (Encyro username) with which this code is associated.

   1. If you have multiple Encyro accounts, you may enable Authentcator app based 2FA in each account and the email address listed below the numeric code will help you select the right code for each Encyro account.
   2. You will notice that the code displayed in the Authenticator app changes every 30 seconds or so.

7. Once you see the Encyro account entry in your Authenticator app, click Encyro Account Added on your Encyro settings page.

8. You will then be asked to enter the currently displayed numeric code from the authenticator app for your Encyro account.

   1. You may optionally add a name for the device on which you installed the Authenticator app, such as “my gray iPhone” or “my black S8.” If you installed the Authenticator app on multiple devices, you may enter a name that reminds you of all those devices such as “my gray iPhone and white iPad.”

9. After entering the code, click Enable Now.

10. You will be logged out and asked to login again. When you login this time, after entering your password, you will be required to use 2FA. You will need to lookup the latest numeric code from your Authenticator app to enter (if you have multiple types of 2FA enabled, you could use any of your available 2FA options).