How to activate 2FA

After having informed yourself well about the best choice of passwords in the many online services you use, you have come to know of an alternative and more secure method for logging into your accounts: the 2FA (Two-factor authentication), namely two-factor authentication. The characteristic of this system is precisely that of guaranteeing greater protection to your account, using different access tools.

The solution seemed really useful and interesting to you and so you immediately started looking for the procedures on how to activate 2FA in your accounts. Great news then! If your research has led you this far, it will be my pleasure to guide you through the various procedures for activating 2FA access to your online accounts and social networks, such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Furthermore, I can also offer you my tips and support to activate this login method in the gaming sector, in titles such as Fortnite and on consoles such as PS4 and Nintendo Switch. But first, let me address the important distinction between 2FA and XNUMX-Step Verification. I wish you a good reading!

Index

• Preliminary information
• How to activate two-factor authentication
  • How to activate 2FA on online accounts and social networks
  • How to activate 2FA in Fortnite
  • How to activate 2FA on PS4
  • How to activate 2FA on Nintendo Switch

Preliminary information

If you have decided to find out how to activate 2FA to access an online service, you have certainly taken the first step in the right direction. First of all, before proceeding, it is necessary to make a clarification between thetwo-factor authentication properly understood and the two-step verification (Two-Step Verification, or TSV, in English), which is often confused with the latter but is not the same thing.

Both two-factor authentication and two-step verification allow you to make your accounts more secure by making sure that, when accessing from new devices/software, you are asked to enter a one-time code, in addition to the classic password.

Well, between two-factor authentication and two-step verification, the way in which the disposable code is delivered to the user changes. 2FA is based on the concept that authentication occurs with the combination of “something you know” e “something you have” o “something that is”.

Without getting too technical, in practice the 2FA system asks you to verify your identity not only with something you know, like your password, but also with something you have, like a token device or a smartphone, or something you , such as fingerprint.

In two-step verification, on the other hand, the receipt of the code is not necessarily linked to "something you have" or "you are", but to a means of transmission, such as SMS, which is theoretically easier to intercept for the bad guys (therefore always to "something that is known", i.e. the verification code to enter).

In general, therefore, when it is possible to choose, always better opt for 2FA (two-factor verification) instead of two-step verification.

How to activate two-factor authentication

Well, it's time to find out how to enable two-factor authentication depending on the service you use. In the following chapters I will focus on various online accounts, such as those of the most well-known social networks, but also on gaming, telling you about various consoles and games.

How to activate 2FA on online accounts and social networks

If you have decided to make your account more secure with a more secure login method than the classic username and password combination, here are the procedures you need to follow to activate two-factor authentication in online accounts and social networks.

• Google — After logging into your account, click on the your account logo at the top right and then select Manage accounts. Now click on the tab Safety on the left and choose the item Two-step verification then proceed by clicking on the blue button Start. At this point, just follow the on-screen instructions and you're done. Please note that even though Google calls it “two-step verification”, they actually offer 2FA as well; in fact you can choose to authorize new accesses through specific apps and devices, to which only you can have access. Among the apps in question, there is one released by Google, called Google Authenticator, which I told you about in detail in a dedicated tutorial.
• Microsoft — after logging in to your account, scroll down the page and click on the button Safety, then up Advanced security options and click on the link Attiva present in the box dedicated to Two-step verification (again, it is called that but it also allows you to enable 2FA). On the next page, press the button NEXT, pointed out recovery code that is provided to you (useful in case you want to regain access to your account) and go ahead to confirm everything. Afterwards, choose to add a new login or verification method, awarded his Use an app and associate the app for generating one-time codes that you prefer, such as the aforementioned Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator, produced directly by the Redmond giant and available on both Android and iOS / iPadOS. For association, it is generally sufficient to scan a QR code.
• Apple — if you have linked an iPhone or other device to your Apple ID account, you can activate two-factor authentication from the home screen of your device. Go to the menu Settings > [your name] > Password & Security. Choose your option now Two-factor authentication and tap the button Continue. By doing this, your device is enabled to receive notifications containing an authorization code to be used each time you wish to access your Apple account from a browser. Alternatively, you can turn on two-step verification from your Apple ID Web Management Dashboard. Read more here.
• Facebook — after you have logged in to your Facebook account from a browser or app, access the menu ☰/▼
  Settings and privacy> Settings> Security and access and press on the item Use two-factor authentication and then Attiva. Then follow the on-screen directions and then choose to register an authenticator app (such as those mentioned for Google and Microsoft), by framing the QR code that is offered to you.
• Instagram — Instagram also uses two-factor authentication through the use of a dedicated code generator app. To enable this method, after logging into the app, tap on yours profile picture or on the little man, bottom right, then go up ☰ > Settings > Security > Two-factor authentication. Continue by pressing on Start and turn on the switch next to the option Authentication app. To confirm the two-factor method, then enter the code provided by Instagram in the authenticator app you intend to use and then the code of confirmation returned by the latter in Instagram. Finally, remember to write down the recovery codes provided by Instagram. Alternatively, you can also act from the Web version of the social network: the steps to take are almost the same.
• WhatsApp (Android/iOS/iPadOS) — you can activate two-step verification for WhatsApp by logging into the application, going to Settings, then up Account> Two-Step Verification and finally pressing the button Attiva. In this way a numeric code is generated to be remembered to be used at access. Proceed by also entering a email address on which WhatsApp sends a link to disable this method in case of loss of the numeric code just generated.

Please note: some services or apps to which you may want to link your 2FA protected accounts may not support the use of one-time codes; to fix it, you will need to access the settings of the accounts protected by 2FA and generate a password dedicated to the service/app to be connected.

How to activate 2FA in Fortnite

Protect your data and achievements in Fortnite is of paramount importance: think of all the hard-earned game progress by dint of events or all the V-Bucks collected! I guess you'll agree with me about how essential it is to learn how to activate 2FA in fortnite and don't take unnecessary risks such as account theft.

Well, then you must know that you can activate 2FA in Fortnite from PC in a very simple way. In fact, whatever platform you play on, you can activate the 2FA system by connecting to the official Epic Games website from your favorite browser.

Then log in using your Epic account by typing theemail address and yours Password or using one of the other accounts available for login (eg. Facebook o Google), move the cursor over the logo of your account, at the top right, click on the button Account and choose the item PASSWORD AND SECURITY from the menu on the right.

Now select the method for receiving the unlock code for the authentications, setting the preference between ENABLE E-MAIL AUTHENTICATION, SMS AUTHENTICATION or ACTIVATE THE AUTHENTICATOR APP (Eg. Google Authenticator o Microsoft Authenticator; here the complete list of supported). Clearly, to have a real 2FA, I suggest you choose the authenticator app.

In any case, if you have chosen the first method, a code will be sent to the indicated email address; if you have chosen the second you will receive an SMS to the phone number you entered, while with the authentication app you will be asked to scan a QR code and to follow the specific procedure of the chosen app.

Unfortunately I can't be more specific about the procedure with respect to the authenticator app of choice, because this varies for each one. However, to learn more about 2FA on Fortnite and to find more details on the subject also regarding the activation procedure for fortnite your ps4I invite you to consult my dedicated guide.

How to activate 2FA on PS4

If you have one PlayStation 4, you can activate 2FA on the PlayStation Network account set up on the console in a very simple way.

To proceed, select the icon Settings from the top bar of the PS4 main menu and follow the path Account Management > Account Information > Security, then enter immediately after the username and Password.

Then go on OK > Two-Step Verification > App Authenticator, open the authenticator app on your smartphone and scan the QR code. The app thus returns a new code to be entered on the PS4 screen.

As a last step, I suggest you save the backup codes shown on the PS4, perhaps by taking a photo. These will come in handy in case you are no longer able to log in with the 2FA method.

This is the procedure to follow in brief, but if you want to find out more details about PS2 4FA, including how to activate two-step verification with cellphone number, also consult my dedicated article.

How to activate 2FA on Nintendo Switch

If you wish activate 2FA on Nintendo Switch, you should know that this operation is not possible for accounts of children up to 16 years of age or accounts managed by relatives or guardians.

If your account is not one of these, then start by connecting to the login page and enter thee-mail address / login ID and Password associated with your Nintendo Account.

Alternatively you can log in through an account Facebook, Google, Twitter o Apple. Once logged into your account, go to the menu Login and security settings and then Two-step verification.

Then proceed with the setting by clicking on the button Modification, then up Enable two-step verification. The system will send, to the email address associated with your Nintendo Account, a verification code (you can change this address from the item User informationclicking on your tasto Change next to E-mail address).

Use the verification code received on the next page and click on the button Send. At this point, switch to your smartphone and use the authenticator app of your choice to scan the QR Code on screen and get a new six-digit code, to be entered in the next verification step.

Nintendo's system provides for the elaboration of a list of backup codes to be used in case you don't have the authenticator app available. I therefore suggest that you copy and paste the whole list in a safe place (or perhaps print it), so as not to run the risk of no longer being able to access your account. But remember that each backup code can only be used once!

Finally, complete the procedure by clicking on the buttons Backup codes saved e OK. View? It wasn't anything that difficult after all. Just get used to the new access system to take advantage of its great advantages in terms of security.