Two-factor authentication will be required for Seller Central sign in
Starting as early as March 28, 2024, you’ll be required to verify your identity using a mobile number or authenticator app when you sign in to Seller Central. This keeps your account safe from fraudulent access attempts.
If you don’t already have a mobile number or authenticator app set up for two-step verification when you sign in, you’ll be prompted through a registration process to add a mobile device. If you prefer to not receive a one-time password over SMS every time you sign in, you can go to “Login Settings” to register an authenticator app for two-step verification.
An authenticator app is recommended for accounts with several users and can help when you’re without cell service.
For more information about authenticator apps and for two-step verification troubleshooting, go to the following help pages:
Our question would be … to those who use an authenticator app, 1) do you have a preferred one to use with Amazon? and 2) do you use it on multiple computers and mobile devices?
My preferred on on and off Amazon is the Google Authenticatior App
Once you authenticate a computer or phone, it should not prompt you for the 2 factor code again, but yes, I can log onto my desktop, laptop, and phone all using the same rolling authentication code.
EDIT TO ADD: I use a 2 factor auth code here on SAS. I have entered it once on this pc, and it hasn’t prompted me for it again unless I log out.
2 factor apps are the way! Way better then SMS codes!
The only issue with making a computer/phone/tablet/etc “known” (so you don’t have to enter codes anymore on it) is that there is a rise in “session stealing” malware.
Thieves using this method can access accounts because they appear to be using the “known” computer (already logged in and authenticated).
Amazon does allow SMS as a backup for an authenticator - @ least, for our accounts, but we were using TSV even before the 2018 mandate to do so rolled out, so it’s possible that we were grandfathered into a paradigm that may not necessarily be still viable for those subject to later changes that have occurred over the last 6 years.
And in your case … would it be to your best interest to run two different Authenticator Apps … one for each account? (@Dogtamer@Pepper_Thine_Angus ???)
That’s not necessarily a requirement, AFAIK; we ourselves have done it both ways (i.e., same app for more than one SoA Account, and different apps for each) with no noticeable difference that doesn’t show up in vertical tracing logs - but again, our results may not be reproducible for others because things have changed so much since we first began.
That being said, Amazon gonna Amazon, so I would think that it’s probably not a bad idea to use different apps for each account.
Ok … starting out slow before we tackle doing it on Amazon …
We downloaded both the Microsoft and Google Authenticators (figured we would separate personal verses business when using).
We set up the Google one with SAS. We guess the part of the equation that we were not connecting the dots to was that we still have to enter a code (which is generated now by the authenticator verses being sent by text).
Both Microsoft and Google were available for android and ios; however, we didn’t see one that can go directly on a Windows 11 computer. Is this something that is not done or is there a work around or something we are missing to get an authenticator directly on the computer?
@Pepper_Thine_Angus … is there a way to slow/extend the time that the code is displayed?
Also … is there an authenticator that can be loaded on Windows 11 desktop?
unfortunately no, but there is “slop” built into the system. AKA if your entering a code, and it changes, and then you press submit, it will take it for the next 10-20 seconds.
I believe Google Authenticator has a desktop sync option, but you still need a phone to start the account and add via QR code
On the occasions in the past when Amazon wanted me to enter the verification code (from texts), I always receive it right away.
Just wondering if I need to worry about the above mention issue. I was planning to just continue with getting my verification code with texts (since that has worked ok for me), so I don’t have to learn how to do the App thing, too afraid I’d totally mess up things.
Probably not often but there could be factors which create times like this. Weather can create power outages which can cause cell phone companies to have issues. Rural areas can have dead zone problems. We have not been locked out but we sometimes do have to wait up to a minute or more to get the text (in rural area).
No need to worry as you are using Two-factor authentication. Most are but there must be some that are not for Amazon to now put this out as required.
We posed our question as an inquiry because we have never used the app process before. Currently, we decided to download the Microsoft and Google authentication apps to learn how they work. We started with the login process here on SAS as a test in getting to learn before we use either with Amazon or other places. It doesn’t seem to hard once you play with it and get use to it (short learning curve). As with any change, we all have those moments of aniexty.