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MoatKey · Authenticator codes

How to share 2FA codes: a shared authenticator for family

You turned on two-step sign-in, and now only one phone can log in to the account two of you need. MoatKey keeps the code next to the login, in a shared Castle, so everyone who should have it can use it.

The problem with one phone

Say you and your partner share a Netflix account, a utility login or a bank account. The website asks for a six-digit code. The authenticator app that makes the code lives on one phone, and that person is at work, asleep or on a plane. The login waits.

Built-in authenticator codes

MoatKey can make the six- or eight-digit codes that websites ask for after your password. Add an authenticator to a login, and MoatKey shows the current code beside it. In a shared Castle, everyone with access sees the current code. Each person's device makes the code itself.

Share a code through a shared Castle

  1. Put the login in a shared Castle, or open a login already there.
  2. Choose + Add an authenticator when you add a login, or + Add shared authenticator on one you already saved.
  3. Paste the setup key from the website. On the website's QR screen, look for "can't scan?" or "enter key manually". You can also use the QR image itself. On Android you can scan it with the camera.
  4. MoatKey checks the key and shows Valid authenticator key. Choose Save authenticator.
  5. Enter the code MoatKey shows on the website, so the website knows the setup worked.

Delete the QR image or screenshot afterward. Anyone who sees it can make your codes. Details are on the Authenticator codes help page.

Using a shared code

In the browser extension, open the popup on the website's code page and choose Code to fill it, or copy it from the item. In Quick Find, press Enter on an Authenticator item to copy its code. On Android, open the item and copy the code. Items with a code show a small 2FA badge.

If a site needs a code but you don't keep its password in MoatKey, add an Authenticator item instead.

Who can see the code

Anyone who can open the item in the shared Castle can see its current code. That is the point, and also the trade-off. Keeping the password and the code in the same place means one more thing to protect, so share a Castle only with people you trust with that account. Use roles to limit what each person can change, and compare safety numbers before you add anyone. The owner or a Castle Admin can remove someone later.

What is not supported yet

Google Authenticator's "export accounts" QR code can't be imported in bulk. Add each account with its own setup key. Authenticator codes are included in every plan, including Free; see the plans section for what each plan adds.

The honest limits

Codes are made on each person's device, and MoatKey is designed so we can't read your vault. There has been an internal security review and no independent audit yet. If you forget your master password and lose your Emergency Kit, we can't recover your data.

Questions

How do I share 2FA codes with my spouse?

Put the login in a shared Castle, add an authenticator to it, and invite your spouse. Once you confirm them on the Members screen, they see the same current code.

Does MoatKey work as a shared authenticator for family?

Yes. Anyone who can open the item in a shared Castle sees its current code, and each device makes the code on its own.

Can I set up a code by scanning the QR code with my phone?

On Android, scan the QR code with the camera inside MoatKey. In the browser extension, paste the setup key or use the QR image. MoatKey doesn't keep the image, so delete it afterward.

Is it safe to keep the password and the code together?

It is a trade-off. Two people can sign in without waiting on one phone, but the Castle now protects both factors. Share only with people you trust, and use roles and safety numbers.

Is the authenticator included in the Free plan?

Yes. Built-in authenticator codes are in every MoatKey plan, including Free. See the plans section on the MoatKey page for what each plan adds.

Get MoatKey

MoatKey is out now on iPhone, iPad, Android, Chrome and Edge. Your account works on all of them.

DOWNLOAD ON THEApp Store ADD TOChrome ADD TOEdge GET IT ONGoogle Play

Honest status: MoatKey has had an internal security review and no independent audit yet. If you forget your master password and lose your Emergency Kit, we can't get your data back. See the Security page.

Related

Help pages for the details: