SiteGround 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 SiteGround account is the Client Area where you manage hosting, domains and billing. SiteGround calls its two-factor authentication (2FA) 2-Step Verification, and it works in one way only: a 6-digit code from an authenticator app on your phone. Text messages don't give you codes for signing in. SiteGround uses them as a backup, to switch 2FA off if you lose the app (SiteGround). It's optional, but you can't finish setting it up without a mobile number for that backup. The number can be on a different phone, such as a family member's.
This guide uses Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone. Any authenticator app works the same way.
How we checked this guide: the SiteGround steps come from SiteGround's own Knowledge Base articles, linked below, which we read on October 21, 2026. We haven't tested them on a SiteGround 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
SiteGround's Knowledge Base, last updated October 8, 2026, describes these steps (SiteGround):
- Sign in to the Client Area, click the profile icon in the top right, and select Login & Profile.
- In the Security section, under 2-Step Verification, click Enable.
- The first screen asks you to install an authenticator app. With Novaz installed, click Next.
- SiteGround shows a QR code and, next to it, a Key. In Novaz, tap +, then Scan QR code, and point the camera at the code. 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 scanning doesn't work, tap +, then Enter key manually in Novaz. Type the Key as the Setup key. SiteGround's codes are 6 digits and change every 30 seconds, which matches what Novaz uses for a typed key. More in What is a 2FA setup key?
- Back in SiteGround, click Next. Type the current code from Novaz into Enter Security Code and click Next.
- Enter your backup mobile number with a + sign and the country code, and click Send Code.
- Type the code from the text message and click Finish.
From then on, 2FA is on.
No backup codes, but a backup phone
SiteGround's article doesn't mention backup or recovery codes. Your safety net is the backup phone number from step 7, so keep it current. To change it, go to Login & Profile > Security and use Edit Backup Phone (SiteGround).
The SMS route is weaker than the app itself, because phone numbers can be hijacked. See authenticator app vs SMS.
Signing in
SiteGround asks for a code each time you sign in to the Client Area. After your username and password, type the current Novaz code in Verification Code and click Sign In. SiteGround's article says some apps show the code with spaces between the digits, and that you should type it without them (SiteGround).
Sharing the account or adding a second phone
If several people share the account, each needs SiteGround in their own authenticator app. Under 2-Step Verification, choose Add Extra Device and scan the QR code, or use the Key. SiteGround doesn't ask for a code on this step, because 2FA is already on (SiteGround).
It also works for moving to a new iPhone without a Novaz backup: while you can still sign in, use Add Extra Device to add SiteGround to Novaz on the new phone. Then check that the new phone's codes work before you remove the account from the old one. If you use Novaz's iCloud backup or a backup file, you can simply restore your accounts on the new iPhone instead. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.
If SiteGround rejects your code
Apart from the spaces, SiteGround's article doesn't cover rejected codes. Check your iPhone's clock: Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically. Novaz also warns you when the clock is 15 seconds or more off. Other causes are in Authenticator code not working?
If you lose your authenticator
If you don't have Novaz or your phone, use the backup phone to switch 2FA off (SiteGround):
- On the sign-in screen that asks for your code, click Can't get your code?.
- Click Send Code. SiteGround texts a code to your backup number, which it shows partly hidden.
- Enter it in Verification Code and click Sign In. If it doesn't arrive, click Resend Code.
This turns 2FA off completely, so you sign in with just your username and password. SiteGround limits how many texts you can request each hour. If you hit the limit, wait and try later.
If you've also lost the backup number, email SiteGround's compliance team at compliance@siteground.com. For an account you own, SiteGround's account recovery article asks for a scanned ID document and an excerpt of a bank statement showing a payment for the account. Use the subject Ownership Case followed by your website name. The article says these are the minimum and the team will probably ask for more. It doesn't say how long a review takes (SiteGround).
More in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?
Turning 2FA off
Go to Login & Profile > Security, choose Disable under 2-Step Verification, and click Confirm in the pop-up (SiteGround). Afterwards, open SiteGround in Novaz and tap Remove account.
