eBay 2FA: how to set up an authenticator app

Your eBay account is the one you buy, bid and sell with. eBay calls its sign-in protection 2 Step Verification, and it's optional. You can confirm a sign-in with a push notification in the eBay app, a code by text message, or a code from an authenticator app (eBay). eBay added the authenticator option in November 2023, calling it safer than codes sent by text, voice call or email (eBay). This guide uses Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone. Any authenticator app works the same way.

How we checked this guide: the eBay steps come from eBay's own help pages, its Seller Center, and an announcement posted by eBay's seller news team on the official eBay Community, all linked below, which we read on October 19, 2026. We haven't tested them on an eBay account, so a label may differ slightly. The Novaz steps are checked against the app, version 1.0.5.

Two kinds of verification on eBay

eBay keeps two checks apart (eBay):

• 2 Step Verification is optional and only happens when you sign in. This is where the authenticator app goes.
• Multi-factor authentication is mandatory at certain moments, such as starting a refund or changing your payment method, email address or phone number. eBay doesn't say whether it accepts an authenticator code.

Add a backup before you start

eBay's pages don't mention backup or recovery codes. Your backup is your contact details. eBay's Seller Center recommends having both your email address and phone number on file first, because you'll need one of them to prove it's you after a new or lost phone (eBay). Check them in the Account section of My eBay (eBay).

This matters more with Novaz if you haven't made a backup: without iCloud backup or a backup file, its keys stay only on your iPhone.

Turn on 2 Step Verification with an authenticator app

eBay's help describes these steps on the website (eBay):

1. Sign in to eBay in a web browser.
2. Select your name in the top left-hand corner and choose Account settings.
3. Select Sign in and security.
4. Select Edit next to 2 Step Verification.
5. Select Authenticator App.
6. eBay shows a QR code. In Novaz, tap +, then Scan QR code, and point the camera at it. If eBay is open on the same iPhone, take a screenshot and use Choose a photo. See scanning a QR code on the same iPhone.
7. Enter the 6-digit code from Novaz on eBay to confirm.

eBay then emails you to say 2 Step Verification is on.

eBay's help doesn't mention a text key to type instead of scanning, or how often its codes change. Scan the QR code if you can, because it tells Novaz the code settings. If eBay does show a key, tap +, then Enter key manually and paste it as the Setup key. See What is a 2FA setup key?

eBay's UK and Australian help pages give the same steps (eBay, eBay), but labels such as Authenticator app or 2-step verification vary slightly. In the eBay app, the help only describes turning on push notifications.

When eBay asks for a code

With 2 Step Verification on, eBay asks you to confirm every time you sign in. If you see Remember this device at that step, select it, and eBay may not ask again on that device. You can trust up to 100 devices and review them in eBay's Security Center. Changing your 2 Step Verification method means trusting your devices again (eBay).

If eBay rejects your code

eBay's advice on invalid codes covers codes it emails or texts you, such as not leaving the sign-in page while you wait (eBay). An authenticator code is made on your phone, so check the iPhone's clock: Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically. Novaz warns you when the clock is 15 seconds or more off. Other causes are in Authenticator code not working?

Changing phones

eBay's Seller Center FAQ says that with a new phone, you verify with the phone number or email on file, then enroll the authenticator app again on the new device (eBay). With a Novaz iCloud backup or backup file, you can restore your accounts on the new iPhone and skip re-enrolling. Without one, keep the old phone until eBay works on the new one. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.

If you lose your authenticator

1. Verify with your phone number or email address on file, then set up the authenticator app again (eBay).
2. If the phone number eBay has is wrong, choose I have a new number. eBay then asks you to take a selfie, and its tips call for an unexpired driver's license, ID card, passport or resident card (eBay).
3. If you still can't sign in, contact eBay right away, as its help advises (eBay).

eBay doesn't say what else it may ask for, or how long recovery takes. More in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?

Turning it off or switching methods

To turn 2 Step Verification off, or to switch between the eBay app, text messages and an authenticator app, go through the same steps again. eBay emails you when it's turned on or off (eBay). Once you've stopped using the authenticator, open eBay in Novaz and tap Remove account.

Official eBay help

• Tips for keeping your eBay account secure
• Multi-factor authentication
• Stronger protections (Seller Center)
• A more secure way to access your account is here (eBay Community announcement by eBay's seller news team)
• Get help with a hacked account