Title: 2FA Code Not Working
Last modified: December 28, 2025

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# 2FA Code Not Working

 *  Resolved [jimmy4429](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jimmy4429/)
 * (@jimmy4429)
 * [3 months, 2 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/2fa-code-not-working/)
 * Hi, I’m using the Google Authenticator app to get the 2FA code but the code doesn’t
   work at all so I have to always use the Backup code to login to the website. 
   Can you please let me know why this could be happening? Thank you.
 * The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2F2fa-code-not-working%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US)
   to see the link]_

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

 *  Plugin Support [Lucian Padureanu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lucianwpwhite/)
 * (@lucianwpwhite)
 * [3 months, 1 week ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/2fa-code-not-working/#post-18775086)
 * Hello there [@jimmy4429](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jimmy4429/) ! 
   The
   most common reason why codes from Google Authenticator (or any TOTP app) don’t
   work is a **time mismatch**. The app generates codes based on the current time,
   so if **either** of the following is out of sync, the codes will be rejected:
    1. **Your device’s date & time**
    2.  - Make sure your phone is set to _automatic date & time_ and _automatic time
          zone_.
        - In Google Authenticator, you can also try re-syncing the time (if available
          on your device).
    3. **The server’s date & time**
    4.  - The server hosting the website must also have the correct system time.
        - If the server clock is even slightly off, authenticator codes will fail while
          backup codes still work (which matches what you’re experiencing).
 * A few additional things to check:
    - Did this start happening **after a plugin update**, server migration, or hosting
      change?
    - Are you using the **latest version of WP 2FA (v3.1.0)**? If not, please update
      and test again.
    - If possible, try reconfiguring the authenticator app once the time sync is
      confirmed.
 * If the issue persists after checking the above, please let us know:
    - Whether this happens on all devices or just one
    - If you’re aware of any recent server or site changes
 * Looking forward to your reply!
 *  Thread Starter [jimmy4429](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jimmy4429/)
 * (@jimmy4429)
 * [3 months, 1 week ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/2fa-code-not-working/#post-18775534)
 * Hi,
 * This happened right away after installing the plugin.
 * Yes, the plugin is the latest version of WP 2FA (v3.1.0)
 * I checked the date and time on WordPress settings, it’s set to the correct Eastern
   time zone.
 * I don’t think it’s a problem with the Google Authenticator app because I have
   other websites WP2FA linked to the same app and they don’t have problems.
 * I don’t know how to check or change the server date and time so I have asked 
   the hosting company about this.
 * Is there anything else that I can check meanwhile?
 * Thank you.
 *  Thread Starter [jimmy4429](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jimmy4429/)
 * (@jimmy4429)
 * [3 months, 1 week ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/2fa-code-not-working/#post-18775563)
 * The hosting company also just got back to me and showed me how to check the server
   date and time and it’s already set to the correct Eastern time zone.
 *  Plugin Support [Lucian Padureanu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lucianwpwhite/)
 * (@lucianwpwhite)
 * [3 months, 1 week ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/2fa-code-not-working/#post-18775942)
 * Hi Jimmy [@jimmy4429](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jimmy4429/) ,
 * Thanks for checking all of that and for confirming the server time as well – 
   that helps rule out the most common cause 👍
 * Since time sync doesn’t seem to be the issue here, the next best step would be
   to **reconfigure 2FA for your user once again**:
    - Go to your **User Profile** in WordPress
    - Click on “Reconfigure 2FA” and scan the QR code again with Google Authenticator
    - Then test logging in with the newly generated codes
 * If the issue still happens after reconfiguring, could you please let us know 
   a bit more detail so we can narrow this down further:
    1. **Exact error message**
    2.  - When entering the authenticator code, do you see a specific message like _“
          Invalid code”_, or does it fail in a different way?
    3. **Users / roles affected**
    4.  - Does this happen only for your user, or for all users?
        - Does it affect all roles (e.g. administrators, editors, etc.)?
    5. **2FA methods**
    6.  - Does the issue only happen with **TOTP apps** (Google Authenticator), or 
          does it also happen if you try another method (for example email-based codes,
          if enabled)?
    7. **Login form**
    8.  - Are you logging in via the native WordPress login page (`/wp-login.php`),
          or through a custom login form/page?
        - If you try the native `/wp-login.php` page, does the issue still occur?
 * These details will help us determine whether this is related to the user setup,
   the login flow, or something specific to the authenticator method.
 * Looking forward to your update, and we’ll take it from there.
 *  Thread Starter [jimmy4429](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jimmy4429/)
 * (@jimmy4429)
 * [2 months, 4 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/2fa-code-not-working/#post-18786127)
 * Yes I **reconfigured 2FA** and it’s working now. Thanks.
 *  Plugin Support [Lucian Padureanu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lucianwpwhite/)
 * (@lucianwpwhite)
 * [2 months, 4 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/2fa-code-not-working/#post-18786514)
 * Thanks for letting me know [@jimmy4429](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jimmy4429/)!
   I am happy everything is now sorted!
   Don’t forget to [drop us a review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-2fa/reviews/#new-post)
   based on your experience with our plugin and support – these reviews only take
   one minute to post, but they are really useful! 🙂 Should you have any other 
   questions, feel free to reach out!

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

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 * 6 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Lucian Padureanu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lucianwpwhite/)
 * Last activity: [2 months, 4 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/2fa-code-not-working/#post-18786514)
 * Status: resolved