Setting up an authenticator app Guide

An authenticator app adds a required second step when you sign in to Praxivara, so a stolen password alone can't reach your account. This guide walks you through scanning the QR code, confirming your first code, and fixing a code that gets rejected.

Before you start

You'll need an authenticator app installed on your phone. Common choices include Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy, or 1Password. Any app that generates time-based 6-digit codes will work.

Tip: Keep your phone nearby throughout setup. The codes an authenticator app generates change every 30 seconds, so you'll want to enter one promptly.

Turn on the authenticator app

1. Open Settings and go to the Security tab.
2. Find the two-factor authentication section and choose to set up the authenticator app method.
3. A QR code appears on screen. Open your authenticator app, choose to add a new account, and scan the QR code with your phone's camera.
4. Your authenticator app immediately begins showing a 6-digit code for Praxivara that refreshes on a timer.
5. Back in Praxivara, enter the current 6-digit code to confirm the connection, then save.

Once confirmed, the authenticator app is active. The next time you sign in, you'll be asked for a code from the app after entering your password.

If you can't scan the QR code

If your phone can't scan the code, look for an option to enter a setup key manually. Praxivara displays a text key alongside the QR code. In your authenticator app, choose to add an account by entering a key, then type it in exactly. The rest of the steps are the same.

Save your backup codes

When you first enable two-factor authentication, Praxivara shows a set of one-time backup codes. Save these somewhere safe: copy them, or download the file, and store them apart from your phone.

Backup codes are your way back in if you ever lose access to your authenticator app. Each code works once. You can check how many unused codes remain, or generate a fresh set, from the Security tab at any time.

Note: Generating a new set of backup codes immediately replaces the old set. Any codes you saved previously stop working, so update your saved copy after regenerating.

Fix a rejected code

If Praxivara says your code is incorrect even though you typed it carefully, the cause is almost always one of two things.

The code expired

Authenticator codes are only valid for a short window before they refresh. If the code changed while you were typing, wait for the app to display a fresh code and enter that one right away.

Your device clock is out of sync

Authenticator codes are calculated from the current time, so if your phone's clock drifts even slightly, the codes it generates won't match. This is the most common reason a correctly typed code is rejected.

To fix it:

1. Set your phone's date and time to update automatically. On most phones this is under Settings > Date & time, with an option like "Set automatically" or "Use network-provided time."
2. If you use Google Authenticator, open its settings and look for a time-correction option (often labeled "Time correction for codes" or "Sync now"). Run it.
3. Return to Praxivara and enter the next fresh code from the app.

After the clock is corrected, codes should be accepted normally.

Using more than one method

You can turn on additional verification methods, such as text-message or email codes, alongside the authenticator app. When several are active, you'll choose which one to use on the sign-in verification screen each time.

Turning the authenticator app off

To remove the authenticator app as a method, open the Security tab and disable it. You'll be asked for your password to confirm the change. If your account is required to keep two-factor authentication on, make sure another method is active first.

Tip: If you replace or reset the phone that holds your authenticator app, set up the app again on the new device before removing it from the old one, so you're never left without a working second step.