Bethesda.net 2FA: how to set up an authenticator app

Your Bethesda.net account is the one you sign in with on bethesda.net, and the one games such as Fallout 4 and Skyrim link to (Bethesda). On Bethesda.net, two-factor authentication goes by another name: the setting is called Enhanced Security, and the help pages also call it multi-factor authentication (MFA). It's optional, though Bethesda strongly encourages it (Bethesda).

The order matters here. An authenticator app is the main method, and text-message codes are an extra you can add only after the app is set up. This guide uses Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone, but any authenticator app works the same way.

How we checked this guide: the Bethesda.net steps come from Bethesda's own support pages, linked below, which we read on October 21, 2026. The pages show no publish or update date. We haven't tested them on a Bethesda.net account, so a label may differ slightly. The Novaz steps are checked against the app, version 1.0.5.

Turn on Enhanced Security with an authenticator app

Bethesda's support article describes these steps on the Bethesda.net website (Bethesda):

1. Sign in at bethesda.net and click your username to open the settings menu.
2. Click Enhanced Security.
3. Click Enable Enhanced Security. A confirmation window opens. Click the button to enable it again to confirm.
4. A QR code appears in the window. In Novaz, tap +, then Scan QR code, and point the camera at it. If you're on the same iPhone, take a screenshot, tap +, then Choose a photo. See scanning a QR code on the same iPhone.
5. Novaz now shows a 6-digit code for Bethesda.net. Type it into the Connect your authenticator window in your browser.
6. You land back on the Enhanced Security screen with a message that setup worked.

Bethesda's article only covers scanning the QR code and doesn't mention a text key. If the window does offer one, add it in Novaz with +, then Enter key manually, as the Setup key (What is a 2FA setup key?).

Adding SMS as a second option

Once Enhanced Security is on, the same screen has an Add phone number button. Bethesda texts a code to the number, and you enter it to confirm. You can edit or delete the number later (Bethesda).

The same page warns of a known issue: requesting an SMS code can return an error, and Bethesda advises using the app instead. Treat the phone number as a spare. See authenticator app vs SMS.

Backup codes

Bethesda's articles on Bethesda.net security don't mention backup or recovery codes. If that iPhone is lost and you have no Novaz backup (iCloud backup or a backup file), your fallbacks are an SMS number, if you added one, or Bethesda's support team (below).

The pages also don't say when Bethesda.net asks for a code, for example on every sign-in or only on new devices.

If Bethesda.net rejects your code

Bethesda's support pages don't cover rejected authenticator codes for Bethesda.net. The most common cause is the iPhone's clock. Go to Settings > General > Date & Time and turn on Set Automatically. Novaz also warns you when your clock is 15 seconds or more off. For other causes, see Authenticator code not working?

Changing phones

Bethesda doesn't describe a way to move the authenticator to a new phone. What its pages do cover is turning Enhanced Security off and on, so the practical route is to turn it off while you're still signed in, then turn it on again and scan the new QR code with the new phone. With Novaz's iCloud backup or a backup file, you can restore your accounts on the new iPhone instead. Without one, do this before you reset or hand over the old one. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.

If you lose your authenticator

Which route you take depends on whether you're still signed in somewhere (Bethesda):

• Still signed in on a browser: open the settings menu from your username, click Enhanced Security, then Disable Enhanced Security. Bethesda says plainly that "removing SMS or MFA protections does not require access to the device" (Bethesda). Then set it up again on your new phone.
• Signed out and stuck at the code prompt: contact Bethesda's customer support with an Account Recovery ticket. Under Reason for Account Recovery, choose I am having trouble with Multi-factor Authentication, fill in every required field, and select Submit.

Bethesda doesn't say what proof of ownership it asks for or how long a recovery takes. Having the email address on the account at hand will help. More tips in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?

Turning it off

Sign in at bethesda.net, open the settings menu from your username, click Enhanced Security, then Disable Enhanced Security (Bethesda). Afterwards, open the Bethesda.net entry in Novaz and tap Remove account so you don't keep a code that no longer works.

Elder Scrolls Online is separate

The Elder Scrolls Online has its own account website with its own two-factor setting, under Manage Two-Factor, and that one gives you recovery codes (Bethesda). Turning on Enhanced Security on Bethesda.net doesn't cover it, so set each one up separately.

Official Bethesda help

• How do I enable multi-factor authentication on my Bethesda.net account?
• What should I do if I have an issue with multi-factor authentication on my Bethesda.net account?
• Is Multi-Factor Authentication available on Bethesda.net?
• How do I enable two-factor authentication on my The Elder Scrolls Online account?
• Bethesda.net Account Linking / Unlinking