Help Center

Using login verification

Login verification is a feature that helps you keep your account more secure. Instead of relying on just a password, login verification introduces a second check to make sure that you and only you can access your Twitter account.

After you enable this feature, you will need both your password and your phone to log in to your account. When you log in to twitter.com you will receive a text message with a login code (SMS users with a supported carrier), or a push notification (iOS and Android users).

Before you can enable login verification, you must:

Using SMS text message login verification

To set up SMS text message login verification:

  1. Go to your Security and privacy settings on twitter.com and select the option to Verify login requests.
  2. When prompted, click Okay, send me a message.
  3. If you receive our verification message, click Yes. (Note: you'll have to enter your password).
  4. You can generate a backup code by selecting the option to Get backup code. Write down, print, or take a screenshot of this backup code and keep it somewhere safe; this will help you access your account if you lose your phone or change your phone number.

Now, when you log in to your account on twitter.com, Twitter for iOS, Twitter for Android, or mobile.twitter.com, a six-digit login code will be sent via text message to your phone. Enter the code when prompted to access your account.

Note: If you are currently logged in to Twitter on the web or on your mobile device (including any applications), you will not be logged out of any existing sessions once login verification is enabled. If you do choose to log out of your mobile device or other applications, you will need to log back in using a temporary password instead of your usual username and password combination.

To disable SMS text message login verification:

  1. Go to your Security and privacy settings and deselect the Verify login requests option.
  2. Save changes (Note: you'll have to enter your password).

Using login verification on Twitter for iOS

To set up login verification on Twitter for iOS:

  1. From the Me tab on your device, tap on the gear icon  and select Settings.
  2. Tap the account for which you’d like to enable login verification.
  3. Under Account, tap Security. Note: you must have a phone associated with your Twitter account to enable login verification.
  4. Flip the Login verification switch to On.
  5. Tap Confirm to enroll.
  6. Write down or take a screenshot of the backup code that was generated during signup and keep it somewhere safe; this will help you access your account if you do not have a Wi-Fi or active data connection for your phone, or if you lose your phone.

The next time you log in to your account on twitter.com or on another device using Twitter for iOS, Twitter for Android, or mobile.twitter.com, a push notification will be sent to your phone. Open the push notification to approve the login request. Once you approve, you will be immediately logged in to your account on twitter.com.

You may also receive a login code via SMS text message. You can opt into this by clicking request a code sent to your phone via SMS when you log in to your account on Twitter.com.

Note: You can also approve or deny your login requests from within the app by tapping Security, then tapping Login Requests. Pull down on the list to refresh for new requests. Requests will appear on this screen even if you did not receive a push notification.

To disable login verification for iOS:

  1. From the Me tab on your device, tap on the gear icon  and select Settings.
  2. Tap the account for which you’d like to disable login verification.
  3. Under Account, tap Security.
  4. Flip the Login verification switch to Off.
  5. Tap Confirm to save your settings.
Note: You can also disable login verification from your Security and privacy settings by selecting Don't verify login requests.

Using login verification on Twitter for Android

To set up login verification on Twitter for Android:

  1. Tap the overflow icon  and select Settings.
  2. Tap the account for which you’d like to enable login verification.
  3. Under Account, tap Security. Note: you must have a phone associated with your Twitter account to enable login verification.
  4. Tick the box for Login verification to turn it on.
  5. Tap OK to confirm.
  6. Write down or take a screenshot of the backup code that was generated during signup and keep it somewhere safe; this will help you access your account if you do not have a Wi-Fi or active data connection for your phone, or if you lose your phone.

The next time you log in to your account on twitter.com or on another device using Twitter for iOS, Twitter for Android, or mobile.twitter.com, a push notification will be sent to your phone. Open the push notification to approve the login request. Once you approve, you will be immediately logged in to your account on twitter.com.

You may also receive a login code via SMS text message. You can opt into this by clicking request a code sent to your phone via SMS when you log in to your account on Twitter.com.

Note: You can also approve or deny your login requests from within the app by tapping Security, then tapping Login Requests. Pull down on the list to refresh for new requests. Requests will appear on this screen even if you did not receive a push notification.

To disable login verification for Android:

  1. Tap the overflow icon  and select Settings.
  2. Tap the account for which you’d like to disable login verification.
  3. Under Account, tap Security.
  4. Untick the box for Login verification to switch it off.
  5. Tap OK to confirm.
Note: You can also disable login verification from your Security and privacy settings by selecting Don't verify login requests.

Temporary passwords and backup codes

Temporary passwords

After you enable login verification for your account on the web, you'll need to use a temporary password to log in to Twitter on other devices or applications that require you to enter your Twitter password; you will not be able to log in using your usual username and password combination. For example, if you enabled login verification in your account settings on the web, and need to login to the Twitter for Mac app, you will need to use a temporary password to do so.

If we detect you will need a temporary password to log in, we will send one via SMS text message to your phone. Alternatively, you can generate your own temporary password. 

To generate temporary password on Twitter.com:

  1. Go to the Security and privacy tab of your account settings on twitter.com.
  2. Click the Generate app password button.
  3. Enter your current account password and click Submit again.
  4. You can click on the temporary password and this will automatically copy it for you.
  5. When prompted to log in to your other device or application, enter your username and use the temporary password that you were provided.
Note: Temporary passwords will expire after one hour. You do not need a temporary password to log in to Twitter for iOS or Twitter for Android, or mobile.twitter.com.

 

Backup codes

A backup code is automatically generated for you when you enable login verification through your iOS or Android Twitter app. You can also generate a backup code on twitter.com. Write down, print or take a screenshot of this backup code. In the event that you lose your mobile device or change your phone number, you can use this backup code to login to your account on the web. Backup codes are not the same as temporary passwords, and cannot be used to log in to Twitter on mobile devices.

If you enabled login verification for your account on the web, you can generate a new backup code on twitter.com:

  1. Go to your Security and privacy settings on twitter.com and select the option to Get backup code.
  2. Your backup code will be shown in the dialogue.
Note: You can use the Print this code option to get a printed copy of your backup code. Keep it safe!

 

If you enabled login verification through your Twitter app (iOS or Android), you can generate a new backup code in the app:

  1. Go to your Settings (on an iOS device, go to your profile and tap the gear icon ; on an Android device, tap the overflow icon )
  2. Tap the account for which you’d like to generate a backup code.
  3. Under Account, tap Security.
  4. Tap Backup code.
  5. Again, write the code down and keep it somewhere safe!

To use your backup code, log in to twitter.com with your usual username and password combination. When you see that a login verification request has been sent, click the link to enter your backup code. Enter the backup code you've generated to log into the site. (Pro tip: Be sure to generate at least one backup code ahead of time, before you need it!)

Note: You can generate up to five active backup codes at any given time. Be sure to use the codes in the order in which you generated them; using a code out of order will invalidate all previously generated codes.

Having trouble?

Check out our troubleshooting article for solutions to common issues.