Panic Sync 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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Panic Sync is the account that keeps your servers, credentials and keys in step across Panic's apps, such as Transmit 5, Nova and Prompt, on your Mac, iPhone and iPad (Panic). Two-factor authentication (2FA) for it is optional, works with an authenticator app, and applies both on the web and inside the apps (Panic).
Read one thing before you turn it on. Your Sync data is end-to-end encrypted, and Panic says it has no way to control your account or restore it. If you lose both your authenticator and your recovery codes, the only way back in also deletes the data Panic Sync holds in the cloud. This guide uses Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone, but any authenticator app that can scan a QR code works the same way.
How we checked this guide: the Panic Sync steps come from Panic's own help library, linked below, which we read on October 21, 2026. The main article says it was last updated on July 30, 2025. We haven't tested them on a Panic Sync account, so a label may differ slightly. The Novaz steps are checked against the app, version 1.0.5.
Turn on 2FA with an authenticator app
You turn it on at sync.panic.com, the Panic Sync website, not in an app's settings. Panic's help describes these steps (Panic):
- Sign in to Panic Sync with your account's email address and password.
- Go to Two-Factor Authentication. Panic asks for your account password again.
- A QR code appears. In Novaz, tap +, then Scan QR code, and point the camera at it.
- Type the six-digit code that Novaz shows.
- Click Enable-Two Factor Authentication (that's how Panic's help spells the button).
- Panic Sync gives you new recovery codes. Panic reminds you to store them somewhere safe.
If you're doing this in a browser on the same iPhone, take a screenshot of the QR code, then in Novaz tap + and Choose a photo. See scanning a QR code on the same iPhone.
Panic's help only talks about scanning: it says you need an app "that supports QR codes" (Panic). It doesn't mention a text key you could type instead, so plan to scan.
Your recovery codes matter more than usual
With many services, losing your authenticator means a support ticket. With Panic Sync, there's no support route that gets you back in with your data. Panic's help says that if you lose the app and the codes, "your account unfortunately cannot be accessed by you or Panic" (Panic).
Unless you turn on Novaz's iCloud backup or export a backup file, its keys exist only on your iPhone, and even a backup can be out of date. So keep your recovery codes safe too. Store them away from that iPhone, for example on paper or in a password manager you can open without the phone. Panic's help doesn't say how many codes you get, how to type one at sign-in, or whether you can make a new set. More on storing them in 2FA backup codes.
When Panic Sync asks for a code
Once 2FA is on, signing in to Panic Sync always takes your password and a six-digit code (Panic). That covers the website and signing in from Settings > Sync in Transmit, Nova or Prompt on a Mac, or Panic Sync in their iPhone and iPad settings (Panic).
Panic explains that after you sign in, each app gets its own access token and doesn't send your password with every request (Panic). It doesn't say whether apps ask for a new code later. If you change your password, Panic offers an option to make all your apps and devices sign in again, and each sign-in will need a code.
The Security section of sync.panic.com lists sign-in and sync events and the devices connected to your account, so you can check for activity you don't recognize.
If Panic Sync rejects your code
Panic's help doesn't cover rejected codes. The most common cause is the iPhone's clock: open Settings > General > Date & Time and turn on Set Automatically. Novaz also warns you when the clock is 15 seconds or more off. Other causes are in Authenticator code not working?
Changing phones
Panic doesn't describe a way to move 2FA to a new phone. With Novaz's iCloud backup or a backup file, you can restore your accounts on the new iPhone and the codes keep working. Without one, while you still have the old phone, one route that uses only Panic's documented steps is to turn 2FA off (below), then turn it on again and scan the new QR code with the new iPhone. Save the new recovery codes that come with it. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.
If you lose your authenticator
First, use one of your recovery codes. If you don't have them either, Panic's one documented option is a password reset. It sets a new password, turns 2FA off, and removes your synced data from the Panic Sync server (Panic). The reset page warns about this too, because your data is encrypted partly with your password (Panic).
Your data isn't gone from your devices, though. Panic says it stays on any Mac, iPhone or iPad that was syncing, and you can upload it again by signing in on one of those devices with the new password. So before you reset, make sure at least one device still has your sites and keys. Panic's help describes no identity check or support route for this case. More in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?
Turning 2FA off
Sign in to Panic Sync with your email address, password and a six-digit code. Then go to Two-Factor Authentication and enter your account password when asked (Panic). After that, you can remove Panic Sync from Novaz: open the account and tap Remove account.
