How to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on every social platform

One of the best ways to protect your accounts from unauthorized intruders is to set up two-factor authentication (aka 2FA) on them. 2FA is an extra layer of security that ensures a hacker needs more than just your username and password to access your account.

2FA usually plays out as a company texting a randomly generated number to your phone and prompting you to enter it on the screen when you first log into an account on a new device.

With social media platforms among the most common sites for account hacks and login shenanigans, taking a little time now to enable all of those 2FAs could potentially save you time and headaches in the future.

2FA on Facebook

To set up 2FA on Facebook, first go to your settings menu (the gear icon) which appears when you click your profile photo in the top right of the screen on desktop or the burger menu icon (three small lines stacked on top of each other) on mobile. On the settings page, click “Security & Login” at the top of the left sidebar menu.

Then scroll down and click on “Use two-factor authentication”. On the next page, you can choose one of three authentication options.

Since both are meta-platforms, Insta’s process is quite similar to Facebook’s. First, tap the burger menu icon at the top right of your profile page. Then tap on the gear icon to go to settings. Then you need to select “Security”. After that, just select “Two-Factor Authentication” and you’re almost home free.

Again, you will be prompted to select your preferred add-on factor.

From the Twitter Settings menu (accessed by clicking the gear icon), click on “Security & Account Access”. Then just “safety”. Next, you’ll see a box that explains what two-factor authentication does. Click the “>” symbol to the left of this paragraph to bring up and turn on Twitter’s 2FA menu.

2FA on Tiktok

From your TikTok profile page, tap the burger menu icon in the top right, then tap “Settings & Privacy” in the menu that appears below. On the next page, select “Security and Login”. Then tap 2-Step Verification.

On the following page, all you have to do is select your preferred method.

2FA on Snapchat

Some of you out there are still using Snapchat, so you might as well play it safe. To enable 2FA there, tap the gear icon in My Profile. Next, tap on “Two-Factor Authentication”. Then select Next. From there, all you have to do is choose whether you want to use SMS or an authenticator app.

2FA on YouTube

Your YouTube account is linked to your Google account, so 2FA may already be enabled there. Google is pushing two factors pretty hard. If not, go to your account profile page by clicking on your profile photo. Then click “Security” in the left sidebar menu. Scroll down a little bit and you’ll see a “Two-Step Verification” toggle switch in a box titled “Signing in to Google.”

On the next page you will see an explanation of 2FA. Click Get Started. After that, as an extra layer of security, you will be asked to log into your account again. From there, all you have to do is select the method you want to use and confirm it with a test run.

OK, now all your social accounts are blocked. Browse and lurk without worrying about someone breaking into your account (just don’t accidentally like your ex-boyfriend’s 2013 summer camp photo).