Wellfound 2FA: how to set up an authenticator app

Wellfound is the startup jobs site that used to live at angel.co. The old address now forwards to wellfound.com. Candidates, recruiters and investors all sign in there with a Wellfound account (Wellfound). Two-factor authentication (2FA) is optional on Wellfound, and its help center describes only one method: a 6-digit code from an authenticator app. There's no text-message option in its documentation (Wellfound). This guide uses Authenticator App - Novaz on iPhone, but any authenticator app works the same way.

How we checked this guide: the Wellfound steps come from Wellfound's own help center, linked below, which we read on October 21, 2026. We haven't tested them on a Wellfound account, so a label may differ slightly. The setup article was last updated in May 2023, so the settings page may look different today. The Novaz steps are checked against the app, version 1.0.5.

Turn on 2FA with an authenticator app

Wellfound's help describes these steps (Wellfound):

1. Log in at wellfound.com.
2. Click your avatar at the top right and choose Settings.
3. Select Two-Factor Authentication, then click Set up an app.
4. Wellfound shows a QR code. In Novaz, tap +, then Scan QR code, and point the camera at the screen. If you're on the same iPhone, take a screenshot and use Choose a photo instead. See scanning a QR code on the same iPhone.
5. If scanning doesn't work, Wellfound also shows a text code on the page that does the same job. Wellfound's help doesn't give it a name. In Novaz, tap +, then Enter key manually, put "Wellfound" under Service, and type the code as the Setup key. See What is a 2FA setup key?
6. Type the 6-digit code from Novaz into the Wellfound page to finish.
7. Download the recovery codes Wellfound offers.

Wellfound's help doesn't say how long each code lasts, only that it's valid for a short time (Wellfound). Scanning the QR code is the safer choice, because the QR code carries the code settings to your app.

Don't skip the recovery codes

Wellfound tells you to download them at the end of setup so you can still get in if your phone is gone or the app stops working. It saves them as a text file, and its help says the name usually looks like "angellist_two_factor_recovery_codes", a leftover from the AngelList days. The file normally lands on the device you used for setup (Wellfound).

That's worth knowing, because a file in a Downloads folder is easy to lose or delete. Move it, or copy the codes, to a password manager or onto paper. Unless you've made a Novaz iCloud backup or backup file, its keys exist only on that iPhone, so these codes are your way back in. The help center doesn't say how many codes you get or whether you can make new ones. More in 2FA backup codes.

Logging in afterwards

Once 2FA is on, Wellfound asks for a 6-digit code from your authenticator app whenever you log in. Its help doesn't mention a way to remember a trusted device. It also warns you not to delete the app from your phone, since you'll need it for every future login (Wellfound).

Resetting your password doesn't get you past this step. Wellfound's password-reset article sends 2FA problems to its support team instead (Wellfound).

If Wellfound rejects your code

Wellfound's help suggests you first make sure you're reading the right entry. Open the authenticator app you used at setup and look for the one labeled Wellfound. If you can't remember which app that was, search your phone for "authenticator" to find it (Wellfound).

If the entry is right and the code still fails, check your iPhone's clock: Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically. Novaz warns you when the clock is 15 seconds or more off. Other causes are in Authenticator code not working?

Changing phones

Wellfound's help names a new phone as one reason people can't find their authenticator: the app didn't come along when they switched. It doesn't describe how to move 2FA to a new phone (Wellfound). With a Novaz iCloud backup or backup file, you can restore your accounts on the new iPhone. Either way, keep the old phone and your recovery codes until you're sure you can log in on the new one. See How to transfer your authenticator app to a new iPhone.

If you lose your authenticator

1. Use a recovery code from the file you downloaded at setup.
2. No codes either? Email Wellfound support. Its newest article, from December 2024, gives two addresses (Wellfound):
   • investor accounts: venture@wellfound.com
   • candidate and recruiter accounts: talent@wellfound.com

Support helps verify that the account is yours and then explains the next steps. Wellfound doesn't say what proof it asks for or how long recovery takes. Note that Wellfound says 2FA is "set up by the user, not Wellfound" (Wellfound), so support didn't turn it on for you. More in Lost the phone with your authenticator app?

The help center doesn't describe how to turn 2FA off. The Two-Factor Authentication section of Settings is the place to look.

Official Wellfound help

• How can I enable 2-factor authentication?
• What if I can't find my authenticator code for 2-factor authentication to access my Wellfound account?
• What can I do when I no longer have access to my 2FA device?
• What can I do when I no longer have access to my 2FA device to access Wellfound?
• How do I reset my password?