Deel 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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Contractors and employees use Deel to sign contracts and get paid, and companies use it to run payroll. Deel holds back sensitive actions until you add two-factor authentication (2FA), though you can still sign in without it, with a one-time code sent to your email (Deel).
Deel offers two kinds of 2FA: approving a push prompt in the Deel mobile app, which is what it recommends (Deel), or a 6-digit code from an authenticator app. This guide covers the second. We use Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone in the steps, but any authenticator app works the same way.
How we checked this guide: the Deel steps come from Deel's own help center, linked below, which we read on October 21, 2026. The help center blocked plain page requests, so we read the articles through its own public article feed on help.letsdeel.com. We haven't tested the steps on a Deel account, so a label may differ slightly. The Novaz steps are checked against the app, version 1.0.5.
Your company may require it
Admins of a client organization can make 2FA mandatory, with separate settings for admins and for workers. If your role is covered, you can't sign in until you set it up: Deel shows a Get Set Up button that starts the enrollment (Deel). An older Deel article described one organization-wide rule instead, so labels may differ.
Turn on 2FA with an authenticator app
Deel's newest article, from August 2026, gives these steps (Deel):
- From the Home dashboard, select your avatar in the upper-right corner, then Profile settings.
- Open the Account access tab. Under Authentication methods, find Authenticator app and select Set up.
- The Enable an authenticator app dialog opens at step 1 of 3. Select Next.
- Deel shows a QR code. In Novaz, tap +, then Scan QR code, and point the camera at it. If Deel is open on the same iPhone, take a screenshot and use Choose a photo instead. See scanning a QR code on the same iPhone.
- If you can't scan it, select Can't scan the QR Code?. Deel then gives you a secret key to type in (Deel). In Novaz, tap +, then Enter key manually, put Deel as the Service, and paste the key into Setup key. Deel says its codes change every 30 seconds, which matches what Novaz uses for typed keys. More in What is a 2FA setup key?
- Select Next, type the 6-digit code from Novaz, and select Enable. Deel shows a confirmation.
On a brand-new account, the same setup starts from a Set up now prompt after you complete your profile (Deel).
Signing in afterwards
The Deel sign-in screen offers three ways through: Approve in Deel App, Use Authenticator App, and Send OTP via Email (one version of the article calls the last one Send code to email). Pick the authenticator option and type the current code from Novaz (Deel).
Because the email option is always there, your Deel account is only as safe as your email, so protect that with 2FA too.
One authenticator at a time
Deel links a single authenticator app to your account. Its FAQ says setting up a new one removes any existing connection. Its troubleshooting article puts it as "same device, same app": the code only shows in the app and on the phone you set it up with (Deel).
Deel's help doesn't mention backup or recovery codes. Your fallback is the email code.
If Deel rejects your code
Deel's advice: wait for a fresh code, type it at once, and check the phone's clock. On iPhone, open Settings > General > Date & Time and turn on Set Automatically. If it's already on, Deel suggests turning it off and on again (Deel). Novaz also warns you when the clock is 15 seconds or more off.
Too many wrong attempts can lock the account for a short while, so wait before trying again. Other causes are in Authenticator code not working?
Changing phones
Deel doesn't describe a process for a new phone. Since a new setup replaces the old one, sign in to Deel (with the old phone's code or the email code), run the steps above again, and scan the new QR code with Novaz on the new iPhone. If you use iCloud backup or a backup file in Novaz, you can skip this and restore your accounts on the new iPhone. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.
If you lose your authenticator
- On the sign-in screen, choose the email option and sign in with the one-time code Deel sends you (Deel). Then set up Novaz again on your new phone.
- If the email doesn't arrive, check spam, archive and trash folders. A work email system may block outside messages, so ask your IT team (Deel).
- No access to the email? Start with the AI chat in the lower-right corner of the sign-in page. If it can't help, ask for a live video call with a support agent and pass a short identity check. Deel aims to fix the problem within minutes once you're verified, or the same business day if it escalates. Email support is slower (Deel).
Deel doesn't list which documents the video check asks for. More in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?
Turning 2FA off
Deel's FAQ says 2FA can't be disabled, and its help doesn't describe removing the authenticator app, only replacing it with a new setup.
