How To: Adding 2FA to Nintendo Account

Its always good to take any steps possible to secure online accounts. One thing you can do secure an online account is to activate Two-Factor authentication. Today’s post will go over How To: Adding 2FA to Nintendo Account Twitter, Facebook, Google, Dropbox, iCloud, and most online email services offer two-factor authentication. There are two types of two-factor authentication

• when you try to log into your account, you will receive a message (could be text or email) with a code that you must enter before being able to access your account
• when you try to log into your account, you will need to use the code from a 3rd party authenticator app.

In the case of Nintendo, the 2FA type they use is the 3rd party authenticator app. Here are the steps to configure 2FA Nintendo

Setting Up 2FA With Nintendo Account

To set up 2FA -Instructions include Google Authenticator, but you can use any Authenticator app you wish.

1. Go to https://accounts.nintendo.com and sign in to your Nintendo Account.
2. Select “Sign-in and security settings”, then scroll down to “Two-Step Verification” and click “Edit”.
3. Click “Enable two-step verification”.
4. Click “Submit” to have a verification code sent to the email address shown.
   • If the email address is incorrect, click “Change” next to the “Email Address” menu setting under “User Information” to change it.
5. Enter the verification code from the e-mail, then select “Submit”.
6. Install the Google Authenticator or any other authentication app on your smart device.
   • Google Authenticator is a free app, available through Google Play (Android) and the iPad/iPhone App Store (iOS).
7. Use the smart device app to scan the QR code displayed on your Nintendo Account screen.
8. A 6-digit verification code will appear on your smart device. Enter the verification code into the field under step 3 on the Nintendo Account screen, then select “Submit”.
9. A list of backup codes will appear. Click “Copy” to copy all the codes, then paste them somewhere safe.
   • A backup code will be required for sign-in if you don’t have access to the Google Authenticator app. Make sure to keep these somewhere safe.
   • You can use these (one time each) if you do not have access to the Google Authenticator app. (Please note that the backup process may differ depending on the authentication app you use.)
10. Click “Backup codes saved”, then “OK”.

(Once set, you can return to the “Two-step verification settings” section to review the backup codes and remove the 2-step restriction.)

Notes On Nintendo 2-FA Set Up

• Yes it is extra hoops to use 2-FA with any account but how many times do you check your doors before you leave your house? How many times do you click your alarm before you walk away from your car? Do you have to do 2-FA no, but every additional step you take will help protect your online data, and your money.
• As noted above, you will need a 3rd party authenticator app. The instructions include Google Authenticator but there are many others, and all will work with Nintendo 2-FA set up. You should already have the authenticator up installed and set up before you start the 2-FA set up.
• In Step 9 – It talks about backup or emergency codes. These ARE IMPORTANT.  If for any reason you lose access to the authenticator app you use, and you need to go into your Nintendo Account to configure a new authenticator app, these are the codes you will use.  So those should be noted and then secured. If anyone ever finds out what your backup codes are, they would be able to access your account.

Source

• Nintendo – Nintendo UK How To Set Up 2 Factor Authentication

How To: Adding 2FA to Nintendo Account