How to Enable & Disable Two Step Authentication on Amazon Account

Amazon offers a two factor authentication or two step verification for all the accounts. It is an awesome feature that adds an extra layer of security to the verification of your identity and better secures your Amazon account.

Fig: Amazon two Step Verification

Amazon two-factor authentication is your best protection against unauthorized access to your seller account. It simply means that you need something in addition to your login and password to access your account. So even when your password gets stolen, your account stays locked without the code. This is specially secured if  you use the same password across multiple sites. It is a good idea to get two-factor authentication setup on any account that offers it.

Two-step authentication adds an extra factor (in this case, the generated code) to your Amazon login process. After enabling the process, Amazon sends you a text message with a string of numbers to input at the login screen, or you can use a random code generated by an authentication app. This ensures that someone won’t be able to guess your password like “12345” in order to access your account. If anyone wishes to do that he/she would also need to steal your phone.

Amazon offers two types of two-factor authentication security system. 1. You can either receive a text message containing a two-factor code or 2. you can use an authenticator app to generate the two-factor codes for you.

SMS-based two-factor authentication:

If you prefer to receive your two-factor authentication codes via text message, you will have to go through the following steps. Keep in mind that you’ll need a second phone number or an authentication app if you use this method. Even you won’t be able to turn on Two-Step Verification without adding a backup phone number. Amazon requires a backup option to receive a security code if you no longer have access to your primary mobile device.

To enable Two-Step Verification:

1. Visit the Amazon website and login to your account (or you can directly login to your seller central account).
2. Hover over “Account & Lists” in the upper right portion of the site.

Fig: Amazon account

3.  Click “Your Account”.

4. Click “Login & Security Settings” in the settings section.

Fig: Login & Security

5.Click “Edit” button right next to the “Advanced Security Settings” section.

Fig: Security Edit

6. Click “Get Started” to begin setting up two-factor authentication.

Fig: Get Started

7. Enter your phone number and click “Send code”.

Fig: Phone no

8. Enter the two-factor authentication code and click “Verify code and continue”.

Fig: Text Code

9. Choose a backup method by entering a different phone number or by using an Authenticator App.

10. Click “Got it”. Turn on Two-Step Verification after reading about Amazon’s alternate login method.

Fig: 2 Step Verification

Two-factor authentication with an authenticator app:

If you’d prefer to get your two-factor authentication codes from an Authenticator App, following steps will help you set it up.

1. Visit the Amazon website and login to your account (or you can directly login to your seller central account).
2. Hover over “Account & Lists” in the top right portion of the site.
3. Click “Your Account”.
4. Click “Login & Security Settings” in the settings section.
5. Click “Edit’‘ button right next to the “Advanced Security Settings” section.
6. Click “Get Started” to begin setting up Two-Step Verification.
7. Click on the radio button (looks like a circle) right next to the Authenticator App.

Fig: App

8. Scan the QR code with your Authenticator App (I use 1Password to generate my two-factor authentication codes).

9. Enter the two-factor authentication code generated by your Authenticator App.

Fig: Authenticator App Code

10. Click “Verify code” and continue.

11. Choose a backup method by entering a phone number.

12.Click “Got it”. Turn on Two-Step Verification after reading about Amazon’s alternate sign-in method.

Fig: Turn On

Two-factor authentication has now been set up for your Amazon account!

Fig: Successful Turn On

How to disable two-factor authentication

If you decide that you no longer need to use two-factor authentication on your account, you can disable it.

1. Visit the Amazon website and login to your account (or you can directly login to your seller central account). Hover over “Account & Lists” in the top right portion of the site. Click “Your Account”
2. Click “Login & Security Settings” in the settings section
3. Click “Edit” right next to the “Advanced Security Settings” section
4. Click “Disable”
5. Click “Disable” again to confirm