Rackspace Technology 2FA: how to set up an authenticator app

At Rackspace Technology, two-factor authentication isn't optional. Since March 2024, Rackspace has required multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all accounts, and the settings to relax it only appear for accounts that went through its exception process (Rackspace). That covers the Rackspace Cloud Control Panel and the MyRackspace Portal, which dedicated hosting customers use.

You can get codes by text message or from an authenticator app, which Rackspace recommends. Its pages name Authy, Duo and Google Authenticator as examples (Rackspace). Rackspace Email and Cloud Office have a separate sign-in with its own Use an Authenticator option (Rackspace), not covered here. This guide uses Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone, but any authenticator app works the same way.

How we checked this guide: the Rackspace steps come from Rackspace's own documentation and the text of its sign-in screens, linked below, which we read on October 20, 2026. We haven't tested them on a Rackspace account, so a label may differ slightly. The Novaz steps are checked against the app, version 1.0.5.

Turn on 2FA in the Cloud Control Panel

Rackspace's Cloud users page gives these steps (Rackspace):

1. Sign in to the Rackspace Cloud Control Panel. Open the user menu in the upper-right corner and select My Profile & Settings.
2. In Security Settings, select Enable for Multi-factor authentication.
3. Choose Use a Mobile App, then Next.
4. Type a Device nickname and select Next.
5. In Novaz, tap +, then Scan QR code, and scan the QR code Rackspace shows. If it's on your iPhone's own screen, screenshot it, tap + and use Choose a photo. See scanning a QR code on the same iPhone.
6. Type the code from Novaz in the Verify Code form and select Verify.

Rackspace then signs you out, and you sign back in with a code. To stay signed in, or to keep another method as your default, clear make this my default authentication method first.

Turn on 2FA in the MyRackspace Portal

The MyRackspace page uses different labels (Rackspace):

1. Sign in to the MyRackspace Portal, open the user menu and select My Profile & Settings.
2. In My Multi-Factor Devices, select Mobile Passcode.
3. Enter a Device Nickname, which Rackspace says identifies the account inside your app, and select Add Device.
4. Scan the QR code with Novaz as above, then select Verify Mobile Passcode.
5. Enter the code in the Verification Code form and select Verify SMS Device (the page's label, even for an app).

Again, Rackspace signs you out unless you clear Make this my default authentication method. An administrator can't set up a device for you.

If Rackspace asks you to set it up at sign-in

If your account has no MFA yet, the sign-in page shows Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication and walks you through the same setup. Its screens also offer a Secret Key to type instead of scanning (Rackspace), which the help articles don't mention. In Novaz, tap +, then Enter key manually, fill in Service, and type the key as the Setup key. See What is a 2FA setup key?

Save recovery codes right away

Rackspace says to make recovery codes as soon as MFA is on. In MyRackspace, on My Multi-Factor Devices, select Generate Recovery Codes, pick a Quantity (up to ten), select Generate Codes, then copy them or use Save Your Codes for a text file (Rackspace). Each one works once, and disabling MFA cancels them (Rackspace). The API reference says Cloud Control Panel users can make them under account settings, but the Cloud help page gives no steps.

If your iPhone is lost and you have no Novaz backup (iCloud backup or a backup file), these codes are your way back in. See 2FA backup codes.

When Rackspace asks for a code

Every time you sign in to the portal with your username and password, type the code in the MFA Code field and select Verify (Rackspace). API keys, tokens and SAML sign-in aren't affected, but command-line tools that sign in with a password stop working, so Rackspace suggests an API key or token for those (Rackspace).

If Rackspace rejects your code

More than six wrong codes locks the account, and then you need Rackspace Support to get back in (Rackspace). Before you try again, check your iPhone's clock: 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 or turning it off

Rackspace's pages don't describe moving an authenticator to a new phone, only removing it. In the Cloud Control Panel, open My Profile & Settings, select Manage for Multi-factor authentication, then Disable and Done. In MyRackspace, select Remove all devices on My Multi-Factor Devices. Both remove every device on your account (Rackspace, Rackspace). Since MFA is required, add the new phone straight away, while you still have the old one. If you'd rather not reset MFA, a Novaz iCloud backup or backup file lets you restore Rackspace on the new iPhone instead. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.

If you lose your authenticator

Sign in with a recovery code. Without one, the sign-in help says to "contact your account owner for a one-time recovery code" (Rackspace). An administrator can generate one code for a user, valid for 30 minutes unless they choose 1 to 180 (Rackspace). If that isn't possible, contact Rackspace Support. Rackspace doesn't say what proof it wants or how long that takes. More in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?

Official Rackspace help

• Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) - Cloud Users
• Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)- Dedicated (MyRack)
• Multi-factor authentication (Identity API reference)
• Set up multifactor authentication applications for Cloud Office