Plaid 2FA: how to set up an authenticator app for the Plaid Dashboard
By the Novaz team · Updated October 29, 2026
Novaz steps checked against version 1.0.5
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This guide is for the Plaid Dashboard, the developer login where teams get API keys, read logs and manage team members. It isn't about my.plaid.com, the site where people who connected a bank through a Plaid-powered app manage what they share. Plaid treats those as separate accounts (Plaid).
A Dashboard login can use two-factor authentication (2FA) with codes by text message or from an app (Plaid). For most people it's optional. One case where it isn't: a team member can't see end-user personal data in Identity Verification or Monitor until they have 2FA on (Plaid). We use Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone in the steps below. Any authenticator app works the same way.
How we checked this guide: the Plaid steps come from Plaid's own documentation and help center, linked below, which we read on October 21, 2026. The help center's article pages turned away automated requests, so we read its 2FA article through the help center's public article feed on support.plaid.com. We haven't tested the steps on a Plaid 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
The setting isn't under the main Settings menu. It's on your personal Security page, reached from the team switcher. Plaid's help center, updated October 6, 2026, describes it this way (Plaid):
- Log in to the Plaid Dashboard at dashboard.plaid.com.
- Click the team switcher in the top-left corner.
- Select Security.
- Under Two-factor methods, select Enable next to a method and follow the prompts. Plaid has you choose how codes reach you at sign-in: by SMS or from an app. Choose the app.
- Write down the backup recovery code Plaid shows you.
Plaid's pages stop there and don't describe the app setup screen itself, so we can't say whether it shows a QR code, a text key or both. Most sites show a QR code. If that's what you see, open Novaz, tap +, then Scan QR code, and point the camera at the screen. If the Dashboard is open on the same iPhone, take a screenshot, tap +, then Choose a photo (scanning a QR code on the same iPhone). If you get a text key instead, tap +, then Enter key manually, and put it in Setup key (What is a 2FA setup key?). If Plaid then asks for a code, type the one Novaz shows.
Save the recovery code right away
Plaid gives you one backup recovery code, not a list, and it only appears once (Plaid). Copy it somewhere away from your phone, such as a password manager or a sheet of paper, before you close the screen.
That code matters with Novaz, because without iCloud backup or a backup file, Novaz keeps its keys only on your iPhone. If the phone is gone and you have no Novaz backup, the recovery code is your way back in. Plaid's pages don't say whether a used code is replaced or how to get a new one. More in 2FA backup codes.
When Plaid asks for a code
Once 2FA is on, the Dashboard asks for a code at every sign-in (Plaid). Plaid doesn't describe a "remember this device" option.
Team admins can check who has 2FA on: the Team Members page has a 2FA column showing On or Off for each person (Plaid). Plaid also offers SSO login to the Dashboard on plans other than Pay-as-you-go (Plaid). Its pages don't explain how Dashboard 2FA works for SSO users.
If Plaid rejects your code
Plaid's pages give no advice on rejected codes. The most common cause is a phone clock that has drifted. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Date & Time and turn on Set Automatically. Novaz warns you when the clock is 15 seconds or more off. For other causes, see Authenticator code not working?
Changing phones
Plaid doesn't document how to move 2FA to a new phone or switch apps. The Security page is where you manage 2FA, so start there while you can still sign in with the old phone. 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 add Plaid again there. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.
If you lose your authenticator
Use your recovery code at sign-in. Plaid's documentation and help center don't describe what to do without it. Plaid says it has no general phone support and handles account support through the Dashboard (Plaid). That route needs a working login. If your team has an account manager, Plaid lists them as an extra channel for account questions. Plaid doesn't say what proof it asks for or how long recovery takes. General steps are in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?
