After the first episodes of ‘Zoom Bombing‘, Zoom has taken plenty of security measures to improve security in video meetings on the platform. The most important being GCM encryption in the recent Zoom 5.0 update.

Now, the video conferencing platform has introduced yet another (long requested) feature called ‘Two-Factor Authentication’ to enhance the security of your Zoom account. It acts as an additional layer of security that enables a second password on your account, a password that is randomly generated and expires in a few seconds.

If your organization has enabled Zoom 2FA for its members, then you might see a ‘Two-Factor Authentication Required’ screen the next time you log into your Zoom account.

Below is a quick guide to help you set up Zoom Two-Factor Authentication on your account using either an Authentication app or via SMS on your registered phone number.

How to Set up Zoom Two-Factor Authentication with an Authentication App

First, go to zoom.us/signin and login with your Zoom account. If your organization has mandated Two-Factor Authentication as a requirement, you’ll see the following screen.

To set up Zoom 2FA with an authentication app like the Google Authenticator, select the ‘Authentication App’ option.

This will take you to the ‘Authentication App Setup’ page with a QR code shown on the screen. You will have to scan that code with your Authentication app.

For the sake of this guide, we’ll be using the ‘Google Authenticator’ app, but you’re free to use any app of your preference. Open the respective app store on your mobile device and search/install the ‘Google Authenticator app on your phone.

Once installed, open the Google Authenticator app and click on the ‘Get started’ button at the bottom of the screen.

In the next screen on your phone, you will have two options to set up your account that is by scanning a QR code or by entering a setup key. Tap on ‘Scan a QR code’ option and scan the QR code shown on your computer screen on the ‘Authentication App Setup’ page.

After successfully scanning the QR code with your Google Authenticator app, you will see your Zoom Account listed within the app. Tap on the ‘Add Account’ button to save it in the app.

On your computer, go back to the ‘Authentication App Setup’ page and click the ‘Next’ button.

You’ll be prompted to enter a code generated by the authentication app. Open the Google Authenticator app on your mobile device, and use the code displayed for Zoom in the app and input it in the dialogue box shown on your computer and hit the ‘Verify’ button.

The setup is now complete, and you can continue using Zoom as usual. Though, the next time you’re logging into your Zoom account from a different device, you’ll be asked to enter an authentication code. At that time, open the Google Authenticator app on your phone and use the code displayed for your Zoom account.

💡 Tip
You could also use the LastPass authenticator app instead of Google Authenticator. The LastPass app can securely backup & restore your authentication codes on both iOS and Android devices. This feature really helps when you reset or change your phone.

How to Set Up Zoom 2FA using SMS

If you don’t wish to bother with an authentication app, there’s a much easier way to set up Zoom 2FA — SMS.

In the SMS method, you get an OTP (One Time Password) on your registered mobile number every time you sign into your account. This is easier than the authentication app method because it’s effortless. You get the OTP over SMS automatically when you use your account credentials to log in. Also, you don’t have to worry about losing your authentication codes by accidentally deleting the authentication app on your phone.

To set up Zoom 2FA with text messages, select the ‘SMS’ option on the ‘Two-Factor Authentication Required’ screen that you see after logging into your Zoom account.

On the ‘SMS Authentication Setup’ page, select your ‘Country Code’ and enter the ‘Phone number’ on which you would like to receive the authentication codes. Hit the ‘Send code’ button after inserting phone details.

Then, wait for a 6-digit code sent over SMS by Zoom to your phone number. Enter the code in the dialogue box shown on the screen and click the ‘Verify’ button.

You will be redirected to the Profile page after successful verification. Now every-time you log into your Zoom account, you will receive an OTP (authentication code) on your registered phone number that you’ll need to enter to be able to login.