PlanetHoster 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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PlanetHoster is a web host, and its member area at my.planethoster.com is where you manage hosting, domains and billing. Two-factor authentication (2FA) there is optional and works with one method: a code from an authenticator app. PlanetHoster's screens name Google Authenticator, but its help says other authenticator apps work too (PlanetHoster). This guide uses Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone. Any authenticator app works the same way.
Two things stand out. PlanetHoster gives you no backup codes, so the QR code or secret key you save at setup is your own way back in. And a lockout means ID checks with Support, which cost money after the first time.
How we checked this guide: the PlanetHoster steps come from PlanetHoster's own knowledge base and its terms and conditions, linked below, which we read on October 21, 2026. We haven't tested them on a PlanetHoster 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 lives under Access Restrictions, the same screen that holds PlanetHoster's IP address restrictions (PlanetHoster). PlanetHoster's knowledge base describes these steps (PlanetHoster):
- Sign in at my.planethoster.com, preferably on a computer, so the QR code shows on a separate screen.
- Go to My Profile > Security and click Access Restrictions.
- Open the Two-Factor Authentification tab (PlanetHoster's spelling). Its store links only install Google Authenticator, so you can skip them.
- PlanetHoster shows a QR code tied to your PlanetHoster email. 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, tap +, then Choose a photo. See scanning a QR code on the same iPhone.
- If you can't scan it, click Secret Key. The key appears under Copy Secret Key. In Novaz, tap +, then Enter key manually. Put PlanetHoster as the Service, your username as the Account, and the key as the Setup key. See What is a 2FA setup key?
- Type the code Novaz shows into the Authentificator Code field and click Activate.
PlanetHoster doesn't say how many digits its codes have or how often they change. Scanning the QR code is the safer route, because it carries those settings to your app. A key typed by hand gets 6 digits every 30 seconds.
Save the QR code or key right away
This is the step that matters most. PlanetHoster's help tells you to save a copy of the QR code or secret key at once. Click Download for a large image of the QR code, save it on your computer, and print it as well (PlanetHoster). The help page doesn't mention backup or recovery codes, so this saved copy stands in for them.
Keep that copy even if you use a Novaz backup, which may be out of date. Without iCloud backup or a backup file, Novaz's keys exist only on your iPhone. Anyone who has that image or key can make your codes, so store it somewhere private, such as a password manager or a locked drawer. More in 2FA backup codes.
Signing in afterwards
PlanetHoster asks for a code every time you open the member area. After your login details, a window asks for the code in the Enter Code field. Type the current code from Novaz and click Login (PlanetHoster).
If PlanetHoster rejects your code
PlanetHoster's help doesn't cover rejected codes. The usual cause is the iPhone's clock. Open Settings > General > Date & Time and turn on Set Automatically. Novaz warns you when the clock is 15 seconds or more off. Other causes are in Authenticator code not working?
Changing phones
PlanetHoster's answer is your saved copy. Install the app on the new phone, then scan the saved QR code or type the saved key, and the same codes appear (PlanetHoster). With Novaz, you can also restore your accounts on the new iPhone from iCloud backup or a backup file; without one, the saved copy is how you'd set up Novaz there. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.
If you lose your authenticator
If you saved the QR code or key, add it to an app on any phone and sign in as usual.
If you didn't, PlanetHoster Support can remove the protection. Its help lists the steps (PlanetHoster):
- Open a support ticket.
- Send two valid pieces of ID, one with a photo. The name must match the name in your client area.
- A credit card payment serves as an extra identity check.
- If you'd rather not send ID in the clear, you can put it in a password-protected PDF and give Support the password by phone.
On cost, PlanetHoster's terms set a fee of €25, US$25, CA$25 or £25 for any request to change a customer's access restrictions. The first time PlanetHoster turns off 2FA for you is free, and later requests are charged (PlanetHoster). PlanetHoster doesn't say how long the check takes. See also Lost the phone with your authenticator app?
Turning 2FA off
While you can still sign in, go to My Profile > Security, click Access Restrictions, then click Disable (PlanetHoster). Then open PlanetHoster in Novaz and tap Remove account.
