How do you turn on two-step verification?
Keep your account out of reach even if your password is stolen: two-step verification is the single setting that, on its own, makes the biggest difference to account security.
Passwords leak — millions of passwords have been spilled in data breaches at big sites, and many of them are being tried on other accounts too. That's exactly why two-step verification exists: even someone who knows your password can't get into your account without getting past the second step (the code on your phone).
Setting it up takes a few minutes in each app and barely changes your day-to-day use; the code is usually requested only when you sign in from a new device. Below you'll find the path for the most widely used accounts, one by one. Our advice is to turn it on for all of them in order — email first, because that's the recovery key for every other account.
- Time10 minutes
- DifficultyEasy
- Steps6
🧰 What you need
- Have your phone with you
Steps
- Start with your emailFor your Google account, follow myaccount.google.com → Security → 2-Step Verification. Since your email is the recovery address for everything, it's the first account that needs protecting.
- Set a PIN on WhatsAppWhatsApp → Settings → Account → Two-step verification. The 6-digit PIN you set is requested whenever someone tries to move your number to another device.
- Instagram and other social accountsOn Instagram: Settings → Accounts Center → Password and security → Two-factor authentication. X, Facebook and TikTok have a similar path too; the same logic works in all of them.
- Choose an authenticator app instead of SMSWhen the option is offered, get the code from an app like Google Authenticator instead of SMS. SMS can be hijacked through fraudulent mobile operator transactions; an app code is generated only on your phone.
- Save your backup codesWrite the single-use backup codes you're given during setup on a piece of paper, or save them somewhere safe. If you lose your phone, these codes are how you get into your account — this is the step people skip most, and the one they regret most.
- Move your codes when you change phonesBefore switching to a new phone, use your authenticator app's account transfer feature (Authenticator has an export option). Before resetting the old phone, confirm that the codes work on the new device.
⚠ This guide is general information. Yudum cannot be held responsible for the outcome of following it; for official procedures always rely on the institution's own statement. Steps and fees change over time.
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