Two-factor authentication on Proton VPN

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an additional layer of security to your Proton VPN account by requiring a second round of verification to the login process. To use 2FA, you must have a device with an authenticator app installed on it. The authenticator app creates a one-time, 6-digit code to use as a verification code when you log in.

This means that even if an attacker gets a hold of your password, they cannot log in to your account unless they also have access to your mobile phone. We recommend enabling 2FA on your account to keep your account secure.

Proton VPN apps don’t prompt users for 2FA during login because they don’t keep any user logs or contain sensitive information. However, 2FA can be implemented to protect your account settings, which contain crucial information, such as your payment details.

Here are some authenticator apps you can download on your mobile device:

Android

• Authy
• Google Authenticator
• FreeOTP
• andOTP (also available from F-Droid)

iOS

• Authy
• Google Authenticator
• FreeOTP

How to set up 2FA

To set up 2FA in your Proton VPN account:

1. Log in to your Proton VPN account at account.protonvpn.com.

2. Go to Account → Passwords and turn on the Two-factor authentication switch.

3. Click Next to start your 2FA setup.

4. Open the authenticator app on your mobile device, and scan the QR code with your device’s camera.

Note: Do not scan the demo image shown below. Scan the image shown in your account settings.

If you prefer, you can enter the authentication key manually by selecting Enter key manually instead.

Once you have successfully added your Proton VPN account to your authenticator app, click Next.

5. Enter your account password and the one-time 6-digit code generated by your authenticator app, and click Submit.

6. You’ll also receive several one-time recovery codes. Please save these codes in a secure location. If you lose your authentication device, you can enter a recovery code instead of a one-time code generated by your authenticator app. You can only use each recovery code once.

Your 2FA setup is now complete. You can now use the authenticator app on your mobile device to create 6-digit verification codes to access your account.

How to use 2FA with multiple devices

If you wish to receive your 6-digit verification codes on multiple devices — for example, your phone and your tablet — you must install an authentication app on each device.

If you’ve already enabled two-factor authentication, you’ll need to disable it first.

1. Log in to your Proton VPN account at account.protonvpn.com.

2. Go to Account → Passwords and turn off the Two-factor authentication switch to disable 2FA.

3. Turn the Two-factor authentication switch back on again, and click Next to start your 2FA setup.

4. Scan the QR code using the authenticator app on each device. You can also take a screenshot of the QR code and save it for later to scan with your other devices.

Note: do not scan the demo image shown below. Scan the image shown in your account settings.

If you prefer, you can enter the authentication key manually on each device by selecting Enter key manually instead.

Once you have successfully added your Proton VPN account to the authenticator app on each device, click Next.

5. Enter your account password and the one-time 6-digit code generated by your authenticator app, and click Submit.

6. You’ll also receive several one-time recovery codes. Please save these codes in a secure location. If you lose your authentication devices, you can enter a recovery code instead of a one-time code generated by your authenticator app. You can only use each recovery code once.

Your 2FA setup is now complete. You can now use the authenticator app on more than one device to create 6-digit verification codes to access your account.