Two-factor authentication

You can now enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for your ThingLink account. When you turn on 2FA, you need to provide a one-time verification code in addition to your account password every time you want to sign in to your account. The verification code can be sent to your email or accessed via an authenticator app.

• How to enable 2FA
  • Receive verification codes to your email address
  • App authentication
• Disabling and configuring 2FA
• Enabling 2FA for your organization
• Limitations
• Troubleshooting

How to enable 2FA

You can enable two-factor authentication in your Profile Settings:

1. Go to Profile Settings → Login & Security tab
2. Select 'Enable' next to Two-factor authentication
3. In the new popup window, choose the authentication method (see below) and click Enable
4. You will be asked to enter a verification code to confirm everything's configured properly. If you do not enter a code, the 2FA will not be enabled. Simply click anywhere outside of the pop-up window to abandon the process.

Receive verification codes to your email address

If you select Email, you will receive a verification code to your email address each time you try to sign in to your ThingLink account. 

App authentication

If you select App authentication, you will need to enter a code from your preferred authenticator app each time you try to sign in. 

When you enable app authentication, you will see instructions for linking your ThingLink account to your authenticator app. The following authenticator apps have been confirmed to work with ThingLink: 

• Google Authenticator 
• Microsoft Authenticator
• Twilio Authy
• 1password

Click the links above for detailed instructions on how to add your ThingLink account to the app. Make sure to save the recovery codes shown in the configuration screen - they will allow you to access your ThingLink account if you lose access to your authenticator app.

Disabling and configuring 2FA

You can always disable 2FA or change your verification method.

To disable 2FA, sign in to your account, go to Profile settings → Login & Security tab and select 'Disable' next to Two-factor authentication.

To change your verification method, go to Profile settings → Login & Security tab and select 'Configure'. This will bring up a new popup window where you can switch between the available methods & access the information you need to add your account to an authenticator app.

Enabling 2FA for your organization

If you are an admin of an organizational account (e.g. a school or an eLearning team), you have the option to ask all users to enable 2FA. The setting can be found under Organization → Settings → Miscellaneous → Ask users to enable 2FA. If enabled, all users in your organization will see a persistent banner at the top of the screen asking them to set up 2FA via Profile settings:

Limitations

1. 2FA is not enforced if you access your ThingLink account using Microsoft or Google single-sign-on 
2. 2FA is not enforced if you access your ThingLink account via an LTI integration
3. 2FA is currently not enforced in the ThingLink mobile apps for iOS and Android. We are working on an update that will add support for 2FA to both iOS and Android apps.

Troubleshooting

I did not receive an email with the verification code

Please check your spam folder and search for emails from friendly-gnome(at)thinglink.com. Check if you can receive emails from external senders.

If the issue persists, contact our team here. 

Google Authenticator code does not work (Android)

You might need to synchronize your app. Follow the instructions in the 'My Google Authenticator codes don’t work' section here: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185834?hl=en, then try to sign in again.

I no longer have access to my email address and cannot get a verification code

Please contact our team here.