Rivian 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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Your Rivian account is where you manage reservations and the vehicles you own, and it's the account the Rivian app signs in with (Rivian). Unlike most services, Rivian doesn't make two-factor authentication (2FA) optional. Every sign-in to the website and the app asks for a one-time code on top of your password. What you choose is where that code comes from: email, a text message, or a third-party authenticator app (Rivian).
So this guide is about moving your codes from email or SMS to an authenticator app. The steps use Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone, but any authenticator app works the same way.
How we checked this guide: the Rivian steps come from Rivian's own support articles, linked below, which we read on October 21, 2026. We haven't tested them on a Rivian account, so a label may differ slightly. The Novaz steps are checked against the app, version 1.0.5.
Switch to an authenticator app
Rivian's support article names two places to manage your 2FA settings (Rivian):
- On the web: the security settings on your Rivian Account page (rivian.com/account/profile/securitysettings).
- In the Rivian app: Profile > Manage account > Security > Two-factor authentication.
Open either one and pick the authenticator app as your method. Rivian's articles stop there: they don't describe the setup screen, whether it shows a QR code or a text key, or what the key is called. If you get a QR code:
- If you're using the website on a computer, open Novaz on your iPhone, tap +, then Scan QR code, and point the camera at the code on the screen.
- If you're setting it up in the Rivian app on the same iPhone, you can't point the camera at your own screen. Take a screenshot of the QR code, then in Novaz tap + and Choose a photo. See scanning a QR code on the same iPhone.
- If Rivian offers a key you can type instead, tap +, then Enter key manually in Novaz. Fill in Service (for example, Rivian), Account if you like, and paste the key as the Setup key. See What is a 2FA setup key?
- If Rivian asks you to confirm, type the code Novaz shows.
Rivian doesn't say how long its codes last or how many digits they have. Scanning the QR code is the safer route, because it carries those settings to Novaz. A key typed by hand always gets 6 digits every 30 seconds.
How long you stay signed in
Rivian gives these session lengths (Rivian):
- Rivian website: 1 hour by default. On a trusted device you can extend it to 30 days.
- Rivian app: 6 months.
If your app session runs out, Rivian says your phone still locks, unlocks and drives the vehicle until the next time you try to sign in.
You can't turn 2FA off
Rivian's answer to whether 2FA can be disabled is no: you can change the method, but "this feature can't be fully disabled" (Rivian). If you no longer want to use an authenticator app, the way out is to switch back to email or SMS in the same settings, not to switch 2FA off.
No backup codes mentioned
Rivian's support articles don't mention backup or recovery codes, and don't say whether you can keep email or SMS as a fallback once you've picked an authenticator app. They talk about choosing one preferred method. If the setup screen offers backup codes, save them somewhere away from your iPhone: they'd get you in if your iPhone is gone and you have no up-to-date Novaz backup. See 2FA backup codes.
If Rivian rejects your code
Rivian's articles don't cover rejected codes. The most common cause is the iPhone's clock. Open Settings > General > Date & Time and turn on Set Automatically. Novaz also warns you when the clock is 15 seconds or more off. More causes are in Authenticator code not working?
Changing phones
If you have a Novaz iCloud backup or backup file, restore it on the new iPhone and your Rivian codes come with it. Without one, a new phone means adding Rivian again. Rivian doesn't describe a phone change. Since you can change the method in the security settings, one approach is to switch to email or SMS while the old phone still works, then switch back to the authenticator app and scan the new QR code on the new iPhone. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.
If you lose your authenticator
Rivian doesn't publish a recovery process for a lost authenticator app. What its pages do give you:
- If the Rivian app is still signed in on another device, you may be able to open Security there and change the method. Rivian's articles don't say whether that step asks for a code first.
- Otherwise, contact Rivian Customer Service. Its support page lists an online contact form and the phone number (888) RIVIAN1 (Rivian).
Rivian doesn't say what proof it asks for or how long a reset takes. Have the email address on your account ready when you get in touch. More in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?
