Paycor 2FA: how to set up an authenticator app

Paycor is the payroll and HR system many employers use, so your Paycor account is usually the one your company set up for you to see pay stubs, tax forms and benefits, or to run payroll if you're an administrator. Paycor calls its two-step sign-in multi-factor authentication (MFA). It offers three methods: an authenticator app, a code by text or phone call, and a code by email (Paycor). In its own settings screen, the app is the option marked as the most secure one.

Two things to know first. Accounts with administrator access must use two-step sign-in, and employers can ask Paycor to require it for their employees too (Paycor). And you can only set it up in a web browser: Paycor says the mobile app can't do it (Paycor).

This guide uses Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone. Any authenticator app works the same way.

How we checked this guide: the Paycor details come from Paycor's own website and knowledge base, linked below, which we read on October 21, 2026. Paycor's knowledge base and support articles now ask you to sign in to Paycor before they open, so we read the setup article in an archived copy on web.archive.org, saved on July 13, 2024 (the article itself was last updated May 17, 2024). A Spanish version of the same article, updated March 24, 2025, gives the same steps. We haven't tested them on a Paycor 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

Paycor's article is written for employees who skipped MFA when they first registered. It describes these steps (Paycor):

1. Sign in to Paycor in a web browser, not the mobile app.
2. If Paycor shows a notice about multi-factor authentication, select Enable MFA. It takes you to My Settings with the Security tab open.
3. Under Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), make sure MFA Enabled is selected. Under Choose your preferred method of MFA, check Authenticator App (Most Secure, Recommended). These labels come from the screenshot in Paycor's article.
4. Click Save.
5. The next time you sign in, Paycor asks you to verify with the method you picked.

Paycor's article doesn't show the screen where the QR code or a text key appears, so we can't tell you its exact labels. When Paycor shows the code:

• QR code: in Novaz, tap +, then Scan QR code, and point the camera at it. If the QR code is on the same iPhone, take a screenshot, then tap + and Choose a photo. See scanning a QR code on the same iPhone.
• Text key: if Paycor offers a key to type instead, tap +, then Enter key manually, and paste it into Setup key. Type "Paycor" as the Service. See What is a 2FA setup key?

Then type the 6-digit code Novaz shows. Paycor's security page says authenticator apps give a six-digit code, which is what Novaz makes (Paycor).

When Paycor asks for a code

Paycor can remember a device for up to 90 days so you aren't asked each time. If you'd rather be asked at every sign-in, leave that box unchecked (Paycor).

MFA is becoming mandatory

The sign-in notice in Paycor's article announces that MFA will be required for all user sign-ins and offers Remind Me Later, Learn More and Enable MFA (Paycor). Paycor's pages don't give a date. If your employer has already made it required, you may be asked to choose a method during registration instead.

If Paycor rejects your code

The Paycor pages we could read don't cover rejected authenticator codes. Check your iPhone's clock first: Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically. Novaz warns you when the clock is 15 seconds or more off. More causes are in Authenticator code not working?

Changing phones

Paycor has an article called "How Do I Change My Multi-Factor Authentication Settings?", but it needs a Paycor sign-in and no archived copy exists, so we couldn't read it. While you can still sign in, the Security tab in My Settings is where the methods live. If you use Novaz's iCloud backup or keep a backup file, you can restore your accounts on the new iPhone; without one, you'll set Paycor up again on the new phone. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.

If you lose your authenticator

The Paycor pages we could read don't mention backup codes or describe how to get back in without your authenticator app. Two things help:

• Paycor's settings screen lets you check more than one method. Adding Email Verification or Phone Verification next to the app may give you another way in. Phone needs a verified number on your Paycor profile (Paycor).
• Your Paycor account belongs to your employer. Paycor's article sends employees to their administrator to fix account details like the email address, so your company's Paycor administrator is the first person to ask.

Paycor doesn't say what proof it asks for or how long recovery takes. See Lost the phone with your authenticator app?

Turning 2FA off

Paycor doesn't document this. Its screenshot of the Security tab shows an MFA Disabled option, but administrator accounts must keep two-step sign-in on, and Paycor doesn't say whether the option stays once MFA is mandatory.

Official Paycor help

• How Do I Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication After Registration? (archived copy; the live article needs a Paycor sign-in)
• How to Keep Your Account Safe
• Paycor Security: How We Keep You Safe
• Year-End Security Checklist