How to set up 2FA on Amazon
Checked against Amazon's own help on 10 October 2026. Menus change, so follow the nearest label if yours differs.
Short answer
Open Amazon's security settings (Accounts and Lists, Account, Login & security), choose the authenticator app option, and scan the QR code Amazon shows with KeyNesta (or enter the setup key by hand). Type the six-digit code KeyNesta shows back into Amazon to finish, and save the recovery material Amazon gives you before you close the page.
Before you start
Have KeyNesta open and unlocked before Amazon shows the QR code, so the code is ready the moment it appears. KeyNesta needs no account to do this. It stores authenticator-app codes only: it does not do passkeys or hardware security keys, and where Amazon offers those you set them up in Amazon directly.
Steps
- Open Accounts and Lists, then Account, then Login & security.
- Under 2-Step Verification, choose Turn on (some accounts show Get Started, Edit or Manage instead).
- Choose the authenticator app option and select Add the new Authenticator App. Amazon shows a barcode.
- Add it to KeyNesta. Open the KeyNesta web app (or the app on your phone once it is released), unlock your vault, choose Scan QR and point the camera at the code on screen. If you cannot scan, use Import QR image, or choose Add entry to paste the setup key.
- Enter the code KeyNesta generates and choose Verify code and continue.
- Check what backup method Amazon asks for during setup and keep it current; you will need it if the phone is lost.
| Amazon | What to know |
|---|---|
| Where to start | Accounts and Lists, Account, Login & security |
| Setup key as text | Amazon's help describes a text-key option for when the barcode cannot be scanned. |
| Recovery material | Amazon's help pages we read describe a backup method collected during setup rather than a list of codes to download. |
| Source | Amazon Customer Service: What is Two-Step Verification? |
Backup and recovery for Amazon
Amazon's help pages we read describe a backup method collected during setup rather than a list of codes to download. Check what your account asks for on the setup screen and keep it up to date.
Save whatever Amazon gives you somewhere that is not the phone holding your codes. Where to store your 2FA backup codes compares the options, and 2FA backup and sync covers backing up the KeyNesta vault itself.
Things to know about Amazon
- The button names differ between Amazon sites and account types (customer, Business, Seller Central), so follow the nearest equivalent under Login & security.
Source
Menu paths on this page come from Amazon Customer Service: What is Two-Step Verification?, read on 10 October 2026. Amazon's help varies by site and account type; the steps above follow the common path its pages describe. KeyNesta is not affiliated with Amazon.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use KeyNesta as the authenticator app for Amazon?
Yes. Amazon asks for a standard time-based code, and KeyNesta reads the same QR code or setup key and generates that code on your device, offline. Amazon does not learn which app you chose. KeyNesta holds authenticator-app codes only; it has no passkey or hardware security key support. How to add the code is in How do I add a 2FA code to KeyNesta?
What happens to my Amazon 2FA if I lose my phone?
Use the backup method on the account, or go through Amazon's account recovery. If your KeyNesta vault is synced or you made an encrypted backup, you can restore the codes on another device; the lost phone guide covers the order to do things in.
How do I add Amazon to KeyNesta if I cannot scan the QR code?
Amazon's help describes a text-key option for when the barcode cannot be scanned. Use it if the screen offers it, and paste the key into KeyNesta. In KeyNesta you can also upload a screenshot with Import QR image, paste an otpauth:// link, or add the entry by hand with the secret. Delete any screenshot of the QR afterwards: it works like a password.
Can I use the same Amazon code on two devices?
Codes come from a shared secret, so any app that holds the secret shows the same codes. The tidy way is KeyNesta's optional end-to-end encrypted sync, which carries the vault to a second device. The alternative is to add the secret to a second app while the QR code is still on screen; once Amazon stops showing it, you cannot get it back without re-enrolling.
Is Amazon 2-Step Verification the same on Amazon Business and Seller Central?
The idea is the same, but the buttons are not. Amazon's Business help points at Your Account, Login & Security and the 2-Step Verification Settings section; Seller Central and KDP have their own help pages. Follow the page for the account type you actually sign in with.
Does my Kindle Direct Publishing account share 2-Step Verification with my Amazon account?
Amazon's KDP help says that enabling 2SV on a KDP account also enables it on the Amazon customer account when both use the same email address and password. Set it up once, then check the other account.
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