How to Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on Discord 

Whether you’re using Discord on a PC or a smartphone, enabling two-factor authentication is a relatively quick and painless process.

On PC

  1. Open up the Discord app on your PC. Click on the gear icon in the bottom left corner to open Settings.
  2. In the My Account tab, go to the Password and Authentication section and click on Enable Two-Factor Auth button.
  3. Next, enter your Discord account password to verify your identity. 
  4. Once verified, you’ll be asked to download an authenticator app on your phone. You can either use Google Authenticator or Authy for this. Once downloaded, open the app and use the Scan a Barcode option to scan the QR code in the Discord app. Alternatively, you can also complete this setup by manually entering the 2FA key.
  5. Once the authentication app provides you with the code, enter it in the Discord app and hit Activate.
  6. After the verification is complete, Discord will suggest you add a phone number as a backup option. This can be helpful in case you lose access to the authentication app.  Also, you’ll need to download the backup codes from here. These codes can be used in case of emergency when you lose access to both the authentication app and the phone number. So, download them and keep them somewhere safe. Do note that these codes are for one-time use only. That said, you can always request new ones.

On Mobile

  1. Launch the Discord app on your Android or iPhone. Tap on the profile icon in the bottom right corner. Select My Account.
  2. Under Two-Factor Authentication, select Enable Two-Factor Auth button. Enter your account password to confirm your identity.
  3. You’ll be asked to download an authenticator app on your phone. Hit Next to continue. Copy the verification code shown here.
  4. Open the Authentication app and select Enter Provided Key option to paste the verification code copied earlier. 
  5. After adding Discord to your Authentication app, copy your 2FA code and enter it in the Discord app.  That’s all there is to it. You can enable SMS Authentication or view your backup codes from here too.

How to Disable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on Discord 

On PC

  1. Open up the Discord app on your PC. Go to Settings > My Account > Password and Authentication. 
  2. Click on the Remove2FA button. 
  3. Enter your authentication code or backup code and hit the Remove 2FA button to proceed.  And that’s about it. 2FA will be removed from your account. 

On Android or iPhone

  1. Open up the Discord app and navigate to the profile tab. Go to My Account.
  2. Tap Remove 2FA, enter your Discord authentication code, and hit Confirm.

How to Enable or Disable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on Discord Server 

Apart from securing your Discord account with 2FA, you can also secure your Discord server with two-factor authentication (2FA). This will require members (with moderation powers) on your server to enable 2FA on their account, hence, making it more secure.  Do note that this will only work if you’ve already secured your Discord account with 2FA.

On PC

  1. In the Discord app on your PC, open up Server Settings.
  2. Use the left pane to navigate to the Moderation tab and click on Enable 2FA Requirement option.
  3. Enter your Discord 2FA code and click on Enable 2FA Requirement to continue. And that’s it. Your Discord server is now secured with 2FA. In the future, you can also disable the 2FA requirement for your Discord server from here. To do so, click on Disable 2FA Requirement option, enter your authentication code, and hit Disable 2FA Requirement option.

On Android or iPhone

  1. Launch the Discord app and tap on your Discord server. Use the three-dot menu icon at the top and open server settings.
  2. Next, go to Security and select Enable 2FA Requirement option.
  3. Enter your authentication code and hit Enable.  Similarly, to disable the 2FA requirement for servers, go to server security settings. Tap on Disable 2FA Requirement button, enter the authentication code and hit Disable.

For Additional Security

Having an extra layer of security is always important if you care about your data. As we just learned, enabling two-factor authentication on Discord is quite a straightforward process, irrespective of the platform you’re using it on.