Like any online retailer, Amazon is a potential security risk for you — if your account is compromised, hackers could get access to your credit card information, personal details, and shopping history.
That's why it's a good idea to enable two-factor authentication for your Amazon account, so anyone accessing your account needs to confirm with more than just a password.
You can set up Amazon's two-factor verification with your mobile phone number or using an authentication app on your phone.
How to set up Amazon two-factor authentication
Amazon refers to two-factor authentication as two-step verification (2SV).
1. Open the Amazon website in a browser and log in if needed.
2. Hover your mouse over "Account & Lists" at the top of the page and then click "Account" in the dropdown menu.
3. On the Your Account page, click "Login & security."
4. In the list of options on the Login & Security page, click "Edit" to the right of "Two-Step Verification (2SV) Settings."
5. On the Two-Step Verification (2SV) Settings page, read the instructions and then click "Get Started."
6. Follow the instructions to set up your two-factor authentication. You can use your phone number – if you do this, whenever you log into Amazon from a new device, you'll be texted a one-time code you need to enter in the browser.
You can also choose to use an authenticator app, which is somewhat more secure. With apps like Google Authenticator or Authy, you'll be asked to enter a code from the app whenever you try to log in from an unknown device.
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