Twitter seems to be getting into the hot water for a lot of reasons, especially after Elon Musk has taken over. While there have been a lot of changes going on with Twitter, (whether they are good or bad, it’s all up to you ). Now there is a new message popping up for a number of Twitter users out there, especially for those who are not subscribed to Twitter Blue. The message says SMS for 2FA will not work for non blue members.
While Twitter is removing the SMS 2FA method for free Twitter users, you need to note that the authentication method needs to be changed on or by the 20th of March 2023. So yes, you have now less than a month’s time to choose between subscribing to Twitter Blue or changing the SMS 2FA authentication method. Worry not if you are someone who plans to change the verification method instead of paying a monthly fee to Twitter Blue. Here will show you how to use Google Authenticator to secure your Twitter account.
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How To Use Google Authenticator To Secure Your Twitter Account
Before we talk about how you can secure your account with Google Authenticator, here are a few things that you need to know about what happens when you don’t change your Twitter 2FA method.
- First, your account will get disabled. Twitter doesn’t allow users to use Twitter without having a method to secure their accounts.
- Second, your number will not be removed even though SMS-based 2FA is going away.
- You have time till the 20th of March 2023 to change your authentication method.
One other reason why Twitter is taking away this 2FA method is simply that it’s not a secure method to secure your Twitter account. If anyone manages to swap your SIM number, then they can easily get access to your Twitter account and do whatever they want with it. While the feature will be made available for Twitter Blue users, it may depend on and vary according to the Twitter Blue user’s region of residence. So this means that not all Twitter Blue users will be able to make use of the SMS-based 2FA method.
In this guide, we will be showing you how you can enable Google Authenticator on the web version of Twitter as well as the Twitter mobile app.
Enable Google Authenticator for Twitter Web
If you are someone that uses Twitter web on a regular basis, you can follow these steps to set up Google Authenticator on your Twitter account.
- Launch Twitter.com on the web browser of your choice on your PC.
- Now make sure to sign in to Twitter.
- Click on the three-dot sidebar (More) that is present at the left of the screen.
- Choose Settings and Support > Settings and Privacy from the list.
- Finally, choose the Security and Account Access option followed by Security, and lastly, Two Factor Authentication.
- Here you will be able to choose the Authentication app to secure your account. Select Google Authenticator.
- Tap on the Get started button to display a QR code.
- Open the Google Authenticator app on your mobile device and scan the QR code displayed on the screen.
- Now, tap on the Next button on your web browser and enter the code displayed on the Google Authenticator app.
- Select the Confirm button. Twitter will display a backup code.
- Save the code in a secure place as it will help you to recover your account in case you lose your phone or change your phone.
Enable Google Authenticator On The Twitter Mobile App
Since a lot of mobile users make use of the Twitter app, you can follow these steps to enable Google Authentication to your Twitter account. But, before we get started, you need to first turn off SMS-based Authentication since this will no longer be usable by non-Twitter Blue users.
- Open the Twitter app on your Android or iPhone.
- Tap on your profile icon > Settings and Support > Settings and Privacy.
- Choose Security and Account Access > Security and finally Two Factor Authentication.
- Make sure to deselect the option that says Text Message. This will usually be the first option displayed on the page.
- Now, tap on the Authenticator App option. You will have to enter your Twitter account’s password here.
- Tap on Get Started after entering the password.
- Tap on Link App to display the QR Code.
- Open Google Authenticator to scan the QR code displayed.
- Your Twitter account will now be added to the Authenticator app.
- Enter the code displayed in Google Authenticator when Twitter asks you to.
- And this is how you can secure the Twitter account on your phone with Google Authenticator.
Other Authenticator Apps that you can use are:
- Microsoft Authenticator – Same process as Google Authenticator
- Samsung Wallet (for Samsung users) – Process
Conclusion
This concludes the guide on how you can enable Google authentication to your Twitter account with ease. Now you don’t have to worry about the SMS-based authentication leaving away for good. Whether you are a Twitter Blue subscriber or not a subscriber, this guide shows you how to secure your account with the proper Two Factor authentication methods. If you have questions or queries, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
Also Check:
According to Twitter support 2fa is not required to login to twitter. I don’t have 2fa and im still able to tweet and use my account. I don’t have the text based authentication.