Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

What it does

Two-factor authentication (2FA) asks for a six-digit code from an authenticator app on your phone each time you sign in, after your password. Someone who learns your password still cannot sign in without your phone. Any authenticator app that supports time-based codes works.

Turning it on

1. Open Settings, click Manage on the Security card, and click Set Up 2FA.
2. Scan the QR code with your authenticator app. If you cannot scan it, open Can't scan? Enter this key manually and type the key into the app.
3. Enter the six-digit code the app shows and click Verify & Enable.
4. Your ten recovery codes are shown once. Click Copy All and keep them somewhere safe that is not your phone: a password manager, or a printed copy. Each code works once.

The Security page shows how many recovery codes you have left. Regenerate Codes (shown as Generate Recovery Codes when you have none) asks for your current password and replaces all your earlier codes with ten new ones.

If you turned on 2FA and were never shown a list of ten recovery codes, generate a set now, while you still have your phone: open Settings, click Manage on the Security card, and click Regenerate Codes (or Generate Recovery Codes if none are shown).

Signing in

After your email and password, the sign-in page asks for the Authentication Code. Open your authenticator app and enter the code shown for AFRICLOUD.

The code is refused ("invalid 2fa code")

• Use the current code. Codes change every 30 seconds. If the code is about to change, wait for the next one.
• Check your phone's clock. The codes depend on the time. Set your phone's date and time to automatic.
• Check the entry. If your app holds several accounts, make sure you are reading the AFRICLOUD one, and the one you set up most recently if you have set up 2FA more than once.
• Wait after repeated failures. Codes from one network are limited to five attempts in 15 minutes. If the page says "too many attempts, please try again later", wait 15 minutes.

Lost your phone or authenticator app

1. Sign in with your email and password as usual.
2. On the code step, choose Use a recovery code instead and enter one of your recovery codes (it looks like ABCD-EFGH). The code is then used up. When a recovery code is used to sign in, we email you to say so and how many you have left.
3. Once you are in, open Settings and click Manage on the Security card. Click Disable 2FA (it asks for your current password), then Set Up 2FA on your new phone. Setting up again gives you ten new recovery codes; keep them.

If we email you about a recovery code you did not use, change your password at once and contact support: someone has your password and one of your codes.

Forgotten password as well

A password reset asks for your second factor too. Follow Password Reset Email Not Received; on the reset page, enter your authenticator code or choose Use a recovery code instead.

Accounts created at checkout without a password

Disabling 2FA and generating recovery codes both ask for your current password. If you ordered without choosing one, use Forgot password? on the sign-in page to set a password first.

No phone and no recovery codes

Email support@africloud.com from the address on your account. We will verify that the request comes from the account holder before we change anything.