How to set up 2FA on LinkedIn
Checked against LinkedIn's own help on 10 October 2026. Menus change, so follow the nearest label if yours differs.
Short answer
Open LinkedIn's security settings (Me, Settings & Privacy, Sign in & security), choose the authenticator app option, and scan the QR code LinkedIn shows with KeyNesta (or enter the setup key by hand). Type the six-digit code KeyNesta shows back into LinkedIn to finish, and save the recovery material LinkedIn gives you before you close the page.
Before you start
Have KeyNesta open and unlocked before LinkedIn 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 LinkedIn offers those you set them up in LinkedIn directly.
Steps
- Click the Me icon, choose Settings & Privacy, then Sign in & security on the left, and click Two-step verification.
- Click Set up and select Authenticator App as the method. LinkedIn may ask for your password.
- LinkedIn's steps have you add an account in your authenticator app (choose Other, and use LinkedIn as the account name) and enter the secret key it provides.
- 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 six-digit code from KeyNesta to verify the device.
- From then on, a sign-in from a new device asks for a code from KeyNesta.
| What to know | |
|---|---|
| Where to start | Me, Settings & Privacy, Sign in & security |
| Setup key as text | LinkedIn's own steps are based on typing the secret key into the app, so add it to KeyNesta by hand (or scan the QR if your screen shows one). |
| Recovery material | LinkedIn's help says the connection is tied to a specific device and app install, so an uninstall, a phone reset or a new phone means setting the authenticator up again. |
| Source | LinkedIn Help: Turn two-step verification on and off |
Backup and recovery for LinkedIn
LinkedIn's help says the connection is tied to a specific device and app install, so an uninstall, a phone reset or a new phone means setting the authenticator up again.
Save whatever LinkedIn 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.
Source
Menu paths on this page come from LinkedIn Help: Turn two-step verification on and off, read on 10 October 2026. KeyNesta is not affiliated with LinkedIn.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use KeyNesta as the authenticator app for LinkedIn?
Yes. LinkedIn 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. LinkedIn 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 LinkedIn 2FA if I lose my phone?
If you still have a signed-in desktop or mobile session, disable two-step verification there and enable it again with a new authenticator. With no active session you have to contact LinkedIn. 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 LinkedIn to KeyNesta if I cannot scan the QR code?
LinkedIn's own steps are based on typing the secret key into the app, so add it to KeyNesta by hand (or scan the QR if your screen shows one). 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 LinkedIn 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 LinkedIn stops showing it, you cannot get it back without re-enrolling.
Does LinkedIn two-step verification move to my new phone automatically?
LinkedIn's help says the connection is tied to a specific device and app install, so uninstalling, resetting or changing phones means setting the authenticator up again. If you restore a synced KeyNesta vault, the secret comes back with it, so test the code on LinkedIn; if it is rejected, disable and re-enable two-step verification from a session that is still signed in.
Can I fix LinkedIn two-step verification from a computer that is still signed in?
Yes. LinkedIn says that if you are locked out of the authenticator but still have an active desktop or mobile session, you can disable two-step verification and set it up again with a new authenticator.
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