How to enable two-factor authentication on Instagram
Instagram announced on March 23, 2017 that the company did enable two-factor authentication support for all users of the service.
Two-factor authentication adds a security layer to the sign in process on Instagram. What is meant by that is that you are required to complete a second authentication step before you are signed in to your account and can start using the Instagram application.
An attacker would have to gain access to the username and password, and also the security code that is sent to the user when a new sign in is initiated. Please note that you are only asked to complete the second authentication step if you sign in from an unknown device according to the "Keeping Instagram Safe" page.
Instagram supports two different types of codes that users may use to complete the two-factor authentication process. The first comes via SMS, and it is the primary means of authentication. You get a code via SMS which you need to enter to complete the sign in process.
The second is one of several backup codes. These codes are one-use codes that are generated automatically when you setup the new authentication feature on Instagram.
How to enable two-factor authentication on Instagram
The only requirement for enabling two-factor authentication on Instagram is that you add a mobile phone number to the user profile. You can do so during the setup process, and don't need to add the phone number prior to that.
Two-factor authentication is supported on Android and iOS devices.
Step 1: Click on the profile icon in the bottom menu bar. Tap on the menu icon that is displayed in the top right corner when the profile page opens.
Step 2: Scroll down until you find Two-Factor Authentication listed there, and tap on the option. Toggle "Require Security Code" to enable the security feature for your Instagram account.
Instagram displays a prompt when you toggle the security option:
Turn this on?
Turning on two-factor authentication means we'll send you a security code to enter every time you log in.
Select turn on.
Step 3: The next step depends on whether you have added a mobile phone number to Instagram already or not. If you have, you get a six digit code sent to the number which you need to enter. If you have not, you are asked to enter and verify the phone first.
Step 4: Backup codes are listed on the next page. These codes can be used as one-time codes to sign in. Can be useful if the SMS don't arrive on your device for instance for whatever reason.
How to turn two-factor authentication off again
You can turn off two-factor authentication again at any point in time, provided that you can access the account.
Turning off is simpler. You follow the steps outlined above, but toggle the "require security code" feature to off this time. You need to confirm the turning off of the security feature in the next step when a prompt is displayed to you.
Disabling two-factor authentication on Instagram requires no extra confirmation of any kind.
Closing Words
Support for two-factor authentication for all users is an important step in keeping Instagram accounts safe. It is easy enough to setup, but only supports SMS or backup codes for now. Support for other code generation options, through applications for instance, would certainly be a welcome addition.
Now You: do you use Instagram?
Doesn’t Windows 8 know that www. or http:// are passe ?
Well it is a bit difficulty to distinguish between name.com domains and files for instance.
I know a service made by google that is similar to Google bookmarks.
http://www.google.com/saved
@Ashwin–Thankful you delighted my comment; who knows how many “gamers” would have disagreed!
@Martin
The comments section under this very article (3 comments) is identical to the comments section found under the following article:
https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/15/netflix-is-testing-game-streaming-on-tvs-and-computers/
Not sure what the issue is, but have seen this issue under some other articles recently but did not report it back then.
Omg a badge!!!
Some tangible reward lmao.
It sucks that redditors are going to love the fuck out of it too.
With the cloud, there is no such thing as unlimited storage or privacy. Stop relying on these tech scums. Purchase your own hardware and develop your own solutions.
This is a certified reddit cringe moment. Hilarious how the article’s author tries to dress it up like it’s anything more than a png for doing the reddit corporation’s moderation work for free (or for bribes from companies and political groups)
Almost al unlmited services have a real limit.
And this comment is written on the dropbox article from August 25, 2023.
First comment > @ilev said on August 4, 2012 at 7:53 pm
For the God’s sake, fix the comments soon please! :[
Yes. Please. Fix the comments.
With Google Chrome, it’s only been 1,500 for some time now.
Anyone who wants to force me in such a way into buying something that I can get elsewhere for free will certainly never see a single dime from my side. I don’t even know how stupid their marketing department is to impose these limits on users instead of offering a valuable product to the paying faction. But they don’t. Even if you pay, you get something that is also available for free elsewhere.
The algorithm has also become less and less savvy in terms of e.g. English/German translations. It used to be that the bot could sort of sense what you were trying to say and put it into different colloquialisms, which was even fun because it was like, “I know what you’re trying to say here, how about…” Now it’s in parts too stupid to translate the simplest sentences correctly, and the suggestions it makes are at times as moronic as those made by Google Translations.
If this is a deep-learning AI that learns from users’ translations and the phrases they choose most often – which, by the way, is a valuable, moneys worthwhile contribution of every free user to this project: They invest their time and texts, thereby providing the necessary data for the AI to do the thing as nicely as they brag about it in the first place – alas, the more unprofessional users discovered the translator, the worse the language of this deep-learning bot has become, the greater the aggregate of linguistically illiterate users has become, and the worse the language of this deep-learning bot has become, as it now learns the drivel of every Tom, Dick and Harry out there, which is why I now get their Mickey Mouse language as suggestions: the inane language of people who can barely spell the alphabet, it seems.
And as a thank you for our time and effort in helping them and their AI learn, they’ve lowered the limit from what was once 5,000 to now 1,500…? A big “fuck off” from here for that! Not a brass farthing from me for this attitude and behaviour, not in a hundred years.
When will you put an end to the mess in the comments?
Ghacks comments have been broken for too long. What article did you see this comment on? Reply below. If we get to 20 different articles we should all stop using the site in protest.
I posted this on [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/28/reddit-enforces-user-activity-tracking-on-site-to-push-advertising-revenue/] so please reply if you see it on a different article.
Comment redirected me to [https://www.ghacks.net/2012/08/04/add-search-the-internet-to-the-windows-start-menu/] which seems to be the ‘real’ article it is attached to
Comment redirected me to [https://www.ghacks.net/2012/08/04/add-search-the-internet-to-the-windows-start-menu/] which seems to be the ‘real’ article it is attached to
Article Title: Reddit enforces user activity tracking on site to push advertising revenue
Article URL: https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/28/reddit-enforces-user-activity-tracking-on-site-to-push-advertising-revenue/
No surprises here. This is just the beginning really. I cannot see a valid reason as to why anyone would continue to use the platform anymore when there are enough alternatives fill that void.
I’m not sure if there is a point in commenting given that comments seem to appear under random posts now, but I’ll try… this comment is for https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/28/reddit-enforces-user-activity-tracking-on-site-to-push-advertising-revenue/
My temporary “solution”, if you can call it that, is to use a VPN (Mullvad in my case) to sign up for and access Reddit via a European connection. I’m doing that with pretty much everything now, at least until the rest of the world catches up with GDPR. I don’t think GDPR is a magical privacy solution but it’s at least a first step.