If you rely on just a password to protect your online presence then you’re taking a big risk. It’s not uncommon for passwords to get leaked or online services to get breached. That’s why there are additional options one can consider to add another layer of security. Two-factor authentication provides one such additional layer of security and now Twitter has gained support for two-factor authentication apps.
Almost all major online services like Facebook and Twitter offer support for two-factor authentication on their own. However, the feature can be a bit difficult to configure on some services which is where two-factor authentication apps come in handy.
Twitter allows users to generate a one-time login code using its app’s built-in tools or through SMS. Using this wouldn’t make a lot of sense to people who use authentication apps like Authy or Google Authentication. Now though, it will be easier as Twitter has support for such apps.
It appears that Twitter added support for these apps rather quietly. The folks at AndroidPolice hear from a developer over at Twitter that this feature actually went live late last year or early this year.
Those who want to use these apps to further protect their Twitter accounts will first have to enable two-factor authentication on their phone number and open Twitter on the web to access the Settings menu. Under Account, they’ll find a button titled “Setup a code generator app.” This QR code needs to be scanned with the relevant two-factor authentication app to enable the feature.