Enabling Two-Step Sign In on Your Hover Account

Two-step sign in (also called two-factor authentication) adds a second layer of protection to your Hover account by requiring a unique six-digit code, generated by an authenticator app on your phone, in addition to your username and password. This article covers how to turn it on, how to turn it off, and how to use or regenerate your recovery code if you ever lose access to your authenticator.

About app-based two-step sign in

Two-step sign in is a mandatory feature on every Hover account and can't be fully disabled. If you disable the app-based method, Hover automatically falls back to email-based two-step sign in until you turn the app back on.

To use the app-based method, you'll need a mobile device running a Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) authenticator app, such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator. Most of these apps are free to download. Once installed, the app generates a new six-digit code on a rolling basis; you'll enter that code whenever you sign in after entering your username and password.

Before you begin

• A mobile device with a TOTP authenticator app installed, such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator.
• Access to your current two-step sign in method, since you'll need to sign in before changing your settings.

Step 1: Turn on app-based two-step sign in

1. Sign in to your Hover control panel using your current two-step sign in method.
2. Select Settings from the top navigation bar.
3. On the left-hand side of the dashboard, turn on the two-step sign in toggle.
4. Select Use an app, then select Next step.
5. In your authenticator app, scan the QR code shown on the Hover account screen (or enter the secret key manually), then select Next step.
6. Enter the six-digit code from your authenticator app into the field on the Hover Settings page, then select Enable two-step sign-in.
7. A confirmation message appears with a recovery code. Write this code down and store it somewhere safe, then select OK, I've written it down.

Warning: Your recovery code is the only way to access your account if you lose access to your authenticator app. Hover support cannot disable two-step sign in without additional verification, so keep this code stored securely.

Step 2: Turn off two-step sign in (if needed)

Uninstalling the authenticator app from your phone does not disable two-step sign in — you need to turn it off from your account settings.

1. Sign in to your Hover control panel using your current two-step sign in method.
2. Select Settings from the top navigation bar.
3. Slide the Two-step sign in toggle off.
4. Enter your account password, then select Disable two-step sign in.

Using your recovery code

If you can't access your authenticator app, use the sixteen-digit recovery code you received when you first enabled two-step sign in to sign back in. Using the recovery code automatically disables two-step sign in on your account.

1. Sign in to your Hover control panel.
2. When prompted for your authentication code, select I can't use my authenticator app or I've lost my phone. Note: The exact wording of this prompt depends on how you originally enabled two-step sign in.
3. Enter your recovery code and select Continue.

Getting a new recovery code

1. Sign in to your Hover control panel.
2. Select Settings from the top navigation bar.
3. Under Security, select Recovery code.
4. Select Regenerate recovery code in the pop-up window.
5. Write down and store your new recovery code somewhere safe. Note: Regenerating your recovery code instantly invalidates the old one.

Next steps

• Store your recovery code somewhere secure, like a password manager, in case you ever lose access to your authenticator app.
• Review your other account protections: see Hover security standards for a full overview.

Questions? Contact Hover Support.