Open your server’s account settings
- Sign in on the website of your Mastodon server.
- Open Preferences → Account → Two-factor authentication.
- Start setup and complete any password confirmation shown.
Check that you are on the server that hosts your account before entering your password or setup code.
Add Mastodon to Sign In
You can use Sign In, our authenticator app for codes on your iPhone.
- With the setup QR code on another screen, open Sign In and tap Add → Scan QR Code.
- Scan the code, review the account details, and tap Add Account.
- Enter the current code on Mastodon’s setup screen and choose Enable. Save the recovery codes shown after activation.
Mastodon displays a text setup secret alongside the QR code. In Sign In, choose Add → Enter Setup Key, set Service to Mastodon and Account to your account name, paste the secret into Key, then tap Add Account. Keep this key private.
Prepare recovery for this account
Keep the recovery codes securely outside your phone and label them with your server and username. Use an unused code if your authenticator is unavailable.
If neither method works, contact the administrators of your own server. Recovery options depend on that server; a different Mastodon server cannot recover your account for you.
If a code does not work
Make sure the Mastodon entry in Sign In matches the account you are using. Wait for a fresh code, then enter it before it changes. If fresh codes keep failing, check that your iPhone uses automatic date and time.
Keep a working sign-in session and your recovery information available while resolving the problem. Adding an entry to Sign In does not finish enrollment: the service must accept a code and confirm activation.