How Do I Set Up Two Factor Authentication on My Coinbase Account?

Introduction

Coinbase provides users with a convenient way to buy and sell a wide variety of cryptocurrencies. Because potentially large amounts of money are involved, all users should turn on two factor authentication to access their accounts. This means that, in addition to signing in to the website in the traditional way, you will also be sent a one-time verification code that you have to enter. This prevents anyone without access to your phone or email account from stealing your password, signing in to your Coinbase account, and stealing your funds. There are a few different ways to do it.

What You'll Need

There are a couple of different ways of generating the verification code. One is by security key, which is a physical device that generates new codes, which is a very secure process because codes are never stored on networked devices. Passkeys use cryptography to generate a unique code on your computer, which is also secure because it is not stored on Coinbase servers. Coinbase supports both methods. Security keys are a little more secure than passkeys, but also more expensive and difficult to install.Coinbase recommends using security keys with support for mobile browsers and use WebAuthN/Fido2 standards.Coinbase recommends setting up multiple two factor authentication methods, such as two security keys or a passkey and a security key. This way, you can still access your account even if you lose the primary key.If your security key device is not detected when you need it, you will need a backup method to sign in. Coinbase cannot recover lost keys. If your security key device is having trouble, make sure you are using a supported browser for that device. Make sure that browser prompts are allowed. Check the device connections, too.If your passkey is giving you trouble, make sure you are using the same device and browser combination that you created the passkey on. If you cannot do that, make sure the device and browser combination you are using has password synch turned on. Make sure you are using a browser that supports your passkey.

Go to the Coinbase home page.

Coinbase home page

Click on the Sign In button in the upper right corner to sign in.

Go to the Security Settings page.

Click on the 2FA Settings tab.

Find the "Available methods" section and click on the Set Up link next to "Security Key."

Follow the prompts to set up your security key authentication.

To turn on Passkey verification, follow the same steps as those above, but select the Passkey option in the "Available methods" section.

Conclusion

If you have any questions, or if you need help getting two factor authentication turned on, call a Coinbase customer service representative. The customer service center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.