If you want to enable two-factor authentication on Xbox, you can. We'll tell you everything you need to know about how to enable 2FA on Xbox, and we'll also give you a bit of background on what 2FA is, and why it can be useful to you to have it enabled. The quick version: you can never have enough security on your account. But how exactly do you set it up? Let's see.
How To Enable Two-Factor Authentication on Xbox
While it may seem a little unintuitive, you can't actually enable 2FA directly through your Xbox. Instead, you need to go to the Microsoft website to set this up. Once you're there:
- Navigate to account.microsoft.com/security and sign-in using your Microsoft account.
- Once you are in the security menu, find the section marked Two-step verification.
- Click where it says Turn on.
- Follow the instructions step-by-step. These will help you to update all your security information, set up an authenticator app, provide you with a recovery code (this is very important) and create app passwords for older devices that don't support 2FA.
It's also important to make sure that before you enable two-factor authentication on your Xbox, that you already have backup contact methods available. If you don't and you lose your security information, you could permanently lose access to your account. Which doesn't sound great. So why would you even want 2FA in the first place?
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What is 2FA?
Two-factor authentication helps to keep your account safe, by stopping others from signing in to your account. In order to access your account, you need both the password for the account and an alternative contact method. This might be your mobile phone number, for example. So in theory, even if someone managed to get hold of your password, they would also need control of your phone, to obtain the security code that would allow them access to the account.
The additional layer of security takes only a little longer to sign in than just having a password. But it does provide your account with significantly higher levels of protection. While an Xbox account may not seem that important, you may feel differently were someone else to gain access. If your card details are stored on your account, then among other things, they could potentially spend your money on games and other content. So there is plenty of good reason to use 2FA.
While the thought of losing your account may seem scary, 2FA is easy to set up and simple to use. And well worth investing a few minutes, to give yourself that additional line of defence.
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