Ameriprise Financial 2FA: how to set up an authenticator app
By the Novaz team · Updated October 29, 2026
Novaz steps checked against version 1.0.5
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At Ameriprise Financial, the second step at sign-in isn't optional anymore. The secure site on ameriprise.com, where you check your accounts and statements, now requires 2-Step Verification, Ameriprise's name for two-factor authentication. What you can choose is the method (Ameriprise Financial):
- a push notification in the Ameriprise Financial app,
- a code from a third-party authenticator app, or
- a 6-digit code sent by text message or automated voice call.
This guide covers the authenticator app option, using Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone. Any authenticator app works the same way. Novaz makes codes only, so it can't stand in for the Ameriprise app's push notifications.
How we checked this guide: the Ameriprise Financial steps come from Ameriprise Financial's own customer service FAQs, linked below, which we read on October 21, 2026. We haven't tested them on an Ameriprise Financial account, so a label may differ slightly. The Novaz steps are checked against the app, version 1.0.5.
Ameriprise points out that authenticator codes work without internet or mobile service (Ameriprise Financial). They also don't depend on your phone number. More on that trade-off in Authenticator app vs. SMS codes.
Turn on 2FA with an authenticator app
Use a computer if you can, so the QR code and Novaz are on different screens. Ameriprise's FAQ describes these steps (Ameriprise Financial):
- Install Novaz first. Ameriprise asks you to have the authenticator app ready before you start.
- Log in to the secure site on ameriprise.com. Go to Profile, then Security Settings, and open 2-Step Verification.
- Choose Generate a code with a third-party authenticator app. Elsewhere on the same FAQ, this option is called Third-Party Authenticator App, so the wording on screen may differ.
- Ameriprise shows a QR code. In Novaz, tap +, then Scan QR code, and point the camera at it. If the QR code is on the same iPhone, take a screenshot, then tap + and Choose a photo. See scanning a QR code on the same iPhone.
- If you can't scan it, use the key Ameriprise shows instead, which it calls the secret key. In Novaz, tap +, then Enter key manually. Type "Ameriprise Financial" as the Service, your User ID as the Account if you like, and the key as the Setup key. See What is a 2FA setup key?
- Finish with the prompts on the Ameriprise screen. The FAQ stops at adding the account, so it doesn't describe the confirmation step.
Ameriprise says authenticator codes are "typically refreshed every 30 seconds," but it doesn't give the code length (Ameriprise Financial). Scanning the QR code is the safer route, because it passes the code settings to Novaz. A typed key always gets 6 digits every 30 seconds.
When Ameriprise asks for a code
Once the authenticator app is your method, Ameriprise asks for a code from it each time you log in to the secure site (Ameriprise Financial). The FAQ doesn't describe a "remember this device" option.
If you sign in with a passkey instead of a password, Ameriprise only asks for the second step when it spots a security risk (Ameriprise Financial). Keep Novaz set up anyway, since that's the code it will ask for.
No backup codes
The Ameriprise FAQs don't mention backup or recovery codes. Unless you've turned on Novaz's iCloud backup or exported a backup file, its keys exist only on your iPhone, so there's no second place to get a code from. Ameriprise's fallback is your account number or Client ID (below), so keep those somewhere you can find them.
If Ameriprise rejects your code
Be careful here: Ameriprise suspends online access after an authenticator code is entered wrong several times. The FAQ doesn't say how many tries that is. Getting access back means calling Customer Service at 800.862.7919, Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Central, or weekends 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central (Ameriprise Financial).
So after one rejected code, stop and check before you try again:
- Wait for a fresh code in Novaz rather than typing one that's about to change.
- Check your iPhone's clock: Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically. Novaz warns you when the clock is 15 seconds or more off.
More causes are in Authenticator code not working?
Changing phones
Ameriprise doesn't describe moving an authenticator to a new phone. Because 2-Step Verification is managed in Security Settings in Profile, the practical route is to log in while you still have the old phone, then set up the authenticator app again from there with Novaz on the new one. If you made a Novaz backup (iCloud backup or a backup file), restore it on the new iPhone instead, and the codes keep working without a new setup. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.
If you lose your authenticator
Ameriprise's FAQ says that if the device you use for 2-Step Verification is lost or stolen, you can use an account number or Client ID to get into your account. It doesn't explain the steps on the sign-in screen. Customer Service can also help you get back in, and can permanently block a lost device from receiving notifications (Ameriprise Financial). The FAQ gives 800.862.7919 for anyone who can't log in. Ameriprise doesn't say what else it asks you to prove or how long recovery takes.
Then set up the authenticator app again on your new phone. More in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?
Turning 2FA off
You can't. Ameriprise now requires a second step for every online account. You can only switch between the three methods, in Security Settings in Profile (Ameriprise Financial).
