Facebook makes two-factor authentication easier
Facebook has made it easier to enable two-factor authentication and has removed the need for a phone number to set it up.
Two-factor authentication provides users with an additional layer of security on top of a username and password.
Previously, Facebook used a phone number as a second layer of security, where it sent an SMS which was needed to log in from a new device.
The company has now redesigned its two-factor authentication to use third-party authentication apps like Google Authenticator and Duo Security – on both desktop and mobile.
Facebook product manager Scott Dickens said they improved two-factor authentication in two ways:
- It is easier to enable two-factor authentication with a streamlined setup flow that guides users.
- It has expanded the ways in which users can secure their accounts, without registering a phone number.
Users can turn on two-factor authentication by visiting facebook.com/settings and clicking the “Security and Login” tab.