Enable Two-step sign in for Twitter on mobile devices

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How to Enable Two-Step Verification for Your Twitter Account



By: Joey Lewandowski on 5.22.13



After months of people yelling at them to increase security, Twitter finally began to roll out two-step verification for its accounts on Wednesday. To ensure that your account is protected, you should enable two-step verification immediately. It only takes about two minutes, and all you need is a cell phone.



What is Two-Step Verification?



Two-step verification is an extremely simple idea. When you sign onto a device for the first time – a laptop, an iDevice, whatever – you’ll need to provide a code along with your user name and password. The code is usually a number that will be sent to your phone via text or phone call.



How Do You Set it Up on Twitter?

It’s very easy! But to make it even simpler, I’m going to show you step-by-step. (NOTE: If your account doesn’t show the additional layer of security yet, don’t worry — Twitter just began rolling it out, and you should have it very shortly.)

1. Begin by clicking on the settings wheel in the upper-right hand corner on Twitter.com, then click Settings.

2. Stay in the default ‘Account’ sub-section of Settings.

3. At the bottom of the page, you’ll want to enable the Account Security box. Since I didn’t have my phone registered on Twitter, I had to do that first. Click the “add a phone” link. (If your phone is already registered, skip to step 8.)

4. Enter your phone number and click the “Activate Phone” button.

5. You’ll see this screen. Get your phone out and text “Go” to 40404.

6. After you text “Go,” you’ll receive two messages back from Twitter. You can ignore these. It just means it worked!

7. In your broswer, you’ll be taken to a screen that shows your phone was activated.

Congratulations! We’re almost there.


8. Go back to the Account section and scroll back down to Account Security. Check the box.

9. You’ll get this pop-up. Click “Okay, send me a message.”

10. Twitter will text your phone. When you get the text “Twitter can send verification codes to this device!”, you’re all set!

11. In your browser, you’ll have to enter your password to confirm the changes.

12. Congratulations! You’re done!



But then I realized that signing up for Twitter like this means I’d get texted every time I got a mention, favorite or retweet. That wasn’t going to fly.



13. Text “Off” to 40404. You’ll get a confirmation text back from Twitter. You’re still enrolled in two-step verification, but you won’t be bombarded by texts.