In what appears to be an on-going quest to drive users away, late last week Elon Musk Twitter announced that it would soon start charging for two factor account authentication done via text messaging (SMS). That doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to use two-factor authentication for free, it just means that you’ll have to do it through a method that doesn’t require the use of text messaging. One free option is to use the Google Authenticator app for Android or the Google Authenticator app for iOS. 

It’s easiest to use two devices (your phone and a laptop) to set-up two-factor authentication on Twitter via the Google Authenticator app. Then  you’ll first need to install the app on your phone. You’ll then need to navigate to your Twitter security settings and open the option for two-factor authentication. In Twitter settings for two-factor authentication select “authenticator app.” When you make that selection a QR code will appear on your screen. Use the Google Authenticator app to scan the QR code to generate a six-digit code to enter on Twitter. Once you’ve done that, your set-up of two-factor authentication for your Twitter account is complete. 

If the preceding paragraph seemed a little complicated, watch this video for a short overview of how to use the Google Authenticator app for two-factor authentication of your Twitter account. 

Video – How to Use the Google Authenticator App to Verify Your Twitter Account