Kickstarter 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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Kickstarter doesn't use passwords anymore. To sign in to the account you use to back or run projects, you type your email address and a 6-digit code that Kickstarter emails you. Without two-factor authentication (2FA), your inbox is the only key. 2FA adds a second code from an authenticator app on your phone (Kickstarter).
Kickstarter's help doesn't say 2FA is required for anything. The English help page mentions only an authenticator app; some translations still mention text messages, and this guide follows the English page (Kickstarter). We use Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone, but any authenticator app works the same way.
How we checked this guide: the Kickstarter steps come from Kickstarter's own help center and its official blog, linked below, which we read on October 20, 2026. We haven't tested them on a Kickstarter account, and the help pages describe the setup screens only briefly, so a label may differ. The Novaz steps are checked against the app, version 1.0.5.
Turn on 2FA with an authenticator app
Kickstarter's help gives only the starting point (Kickstarter):
- Sign in on kickstarter.com and open your Account settings.
- Select Set up two-factor authentication.
- Follow the steps to link your phone's authenticator app.
The help doesn't say whether the setup shows a QR code, a text key or both. In Novaz:
- QR code: tap +, then Scan QR code, and point the camera at it. If the code is on the same iPhone, take a screenshot, tap +, then Choose a photo. See scanning a QR code on the same iPhone.
- Text key: tap +, then Enter key manually. Type Kickstarter as the Service, your email address as the Account if you want, and the key as the Setup key. See What is a 2FA setup key?
Kickstarter's codes have 6 digits, but its help doesn't say how often they change (Kickstarter). So scan the QR code if there is one: it tells Novaz the settings, while a typed key always gets 30 seconds. If Kickstarter asks for a code to finish, type the one Novaz shows.
Signing in afterwards
Each sign-in then takes two codes (Kickstarter):
- On the Log in page, enter your email address.
- Enter the 6-digit code from Kickstarter's email.
- Open Novaz and enter the current 6-digit code for Kickstarter.
The codes look alike, so check which one the screen wants. With Continue with Apple, returning users with 2FA on still enter the authenticator code (Kickstarter). Facebook sign-in is gone: those accounts now use the email address from Facebook, plus the authenticator code (Kickstarter).
Kickstarter's pages differ on how often you're asked. Its 2FA pages mention sign-ins from an unfamiliar device (Kickstarter, Kickstarter). The sign-in page lists the code at every sign-in and offers Remember this device for 30 days, which skips the verification code on that browser or device until you sign out or clear your browser data. It doesn't say whether that includes the authenticator code (Kickstarter).
No backup codes
Kickstarter's help mentions no backup or recovery codes and no second method. Unless you turn on Novaz's iCloud backup or keep a backup file, that iPhone is your only source of Kickstarter codes. Keep your email account safe and reachable too: every sign-in starts there.
If Kickstarter rejects your code
Kickstarter's tips for wrong codes cover the email code: use the newest one, since each new code cancels the last, and use Resend code after several wrong tries or when it expires (Kickstarter).
For the authenticator code, check your iPhone's clock first: 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? If you still can't get a working code, Kickstarter says to contact Support (Kickstarter).
Changing phones or turning 2FA off
Kickstarter's help doesn't describe moving 2FA to a new phone or turning it off. It only says to contact Support if you can't sign in after changing devices (Kickstarter). Keep the old iPhone until the new one is set up or Support has reset your 2FA. A Novaz iCloud backup or backup file lets you restore the Kickstarter entry on the new iPhone, so the codes keep working. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.
If you lose your authenticator
With no backup codes, Support is the documented route: the messenger in the bottom-right corner of the Help Center, or email at support@kickstarter.com. If the messenger doesn't appear, Kickstarter says to open Cookie Preferences in the kickstarter.com footer and allow Functional, Marketing and Analytics cookies (Kickstarter).
Kickstarter doesn't say what proof a 2FA reset needs or how long it takes. For other sign-in problems, such as an email address it doesn't recognize, Support asks security questions and suggests having details of your latest pledge ready (Kickstarter). If you've also lost your email, recovery is handled case by case (Kickstarter).
Kickstarter's blog lists requests for verification codes among the signs of a scam message (Kickstarter), so don't give your codes to anyone who asks for them. More in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?
