Planning Center 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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Planning Center is church management software: People, Services, Giving, Check-Ins and more. Staff and volunteers log in with an email address or phone number and one password for every product (Planning Center). Planning Center calls its second login step two-step verification, or 2SV. You can receive codes from an authenticator app, by text if you log in with an email address, or by email if you log in with a phone number (Planning Center).
It's optional, but since November 2025 an organization administrator can require it for all organization administrators and billing managers (Planning Center). This guide uses Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone. Any authenticator app works the same way.
How we checked this guide: the Planning Center steps come from Planning Center's own help center and changelog, linked below, which we read on October 20, 2026. We haven't tested them on a Planning Center account, so a label may differ slightly. The Novaz steps are checked against the app, version 1.0.5.
Turn on 2SV with an authenticator app
You can start from any Planning Center product (Planning Center):
- Select your profile picture or initials in the top right corner.
- Select My login settings.
- In the two-step verification section, select Enable two-step.
- On the Two-Step Verification page, choose Authenticator app.
- Follow the directions to link your app, then enter its code to confirm.
- Save the emergency backup code shown on the last page.
Planning Center's help doesn't say whether setup shows a QR code, a text key or both, or how long its codes are. Scan if you can, since a QR code tells your app the code settings. In Novaz, tap +, then Scan QR code. If the code is on your iPhone's own screen, take a screenshot, tap +, then Choose a photo (scanning a QR code on the same iPhone). If you only get a key, tap +, then Enter key manually, and type it as the Setup key (What is a 2FA setup key?).
Adding a 2SV device logs out your linked accounts' sessions on other devices.
One emergency backup code
Planning Center gives you a single emergency backup code at the end of setup and tells you to keep it somewhere secure (Planning Center). Other pages call it a recovery code or recovery key (Planning Center, Planning Center). If the iPhone is lost and you have no Novaz backup, or one made before you added Planning Center, this code is how you get in. Store it in a password manager or on paper, away from the phone. More in 2FA backup codes.
If you serve more than one church
If you link logins from several churches, link them first, then turn on 2SV once for all of them. Accounts that already have 2SV can only be linked if they share the same recovery code; otherwise turn 2SV off, link, and turn it on again. Unlinking also needs 2SV off (Planning Center).
When Planning Center asks for a code
You'll need a code each time you log in with your password (Planning Center). Planning Center keeps you logged in until you log out or stay inactive for 14 days. Resetting your password with 2SV on also asks for a code from your verification device (Planning Center).
If Planning Center rejects your code
Planning Center's tips are general app fixes, such as force closing the app and updating it and your device. After that, it points you to its support team (Planning Center).
One tip is to delete and reinstall the app. Skip that with Novaz: unless you've turned on iCloud backup or kept a backup file, there's no copy of its keys to restore, so you'd risk setting up every account again. Check the iPhone's clock instead: 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
Planning Center has no page about new phones. While the old iPhone still works, remove the 2SV device (below), then turn 2SV on again with Novaz on the new phone. With a Novaz iCloud backup or backup file, you can skip that and restore your accounts on the new iPhone instead. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.
If you lose your authenticator
Planning Center documents two ways back in (Planning Center):
- Your emergency backup code. Planning Center says you can use it to turn off 2SV.
- An organization administrator at your church. They open your profile in People, select Actions next to your login method, choose Provide help, then They can't log in because of two-step verification. They type I understand the risk and select Disable two-step verification. Admins need 2SV on their own profile first (Planning Center).
Then set up 2SV again. If you're the only organization administrator, the help doesn't describe a route, and it advises always having at least two (Planning Center). Support answers by email, usually within about one business hour, but Planning Center doesn't say what proof it asks for in a lockout (Planning Center). More in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?
For organization administrators
On the People page in Account settings, select Enable in the Two-step verification requirement box, then Require immediately or Require on a future date. Admins and billing managers without 2SV are logged out until they set it up. You need it on your own profile first (Planning Center).
Turning 2SV off
Open My login settings and select Remove device on the two-step verification line. Enter a code from Novaz, then select Remove verification device (Planning Center). Then open the Planning Center entry in Novaz and tap Remove account.
