How to enable 2-step verification for a Nintendo Account

By Tyler Treese Published April 20, 2020

Setting up two-step verification on your Nintendo Account is the best way to keep your Nintendo Switch secure. Doing so is a quick and easy process that will keep kids or anyone else from making purchases on your device without permission. Not only does it save you from a potential financial headache, but it will also make sure nobody accesses your account and makes changes to your login information if they stumble upon your username and password.

A Nintendo Account is mandatory to access the Switch eShop and is linked to one’s Nintendo Network ID. This is compatible with both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo’s mobile games, including Mario Kart Tour and Fire Emblem Heroes. Please note that child accounts, which are for those under the age of 12, and supervised accounts cannot use this feature.

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You can help secure your Nintendo Account by enabling 2-Step Verification.

For more details, visit: https://t.co/kqxbp8TobD pic.twitter.com/hZ1PnFWZQw

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 9, 2020

The first step in setting up two-step verification is to go to the Nintendo Account website and logging in. Once you’ve done that, all you have to do is go to the sign-in and security settings section. Scroll down to where it says “2-step verification” and click edit to enter your email address that is already tied to your account. Nintendo will then send a verification email with a six-digit code in it that you’ll have to enter to continue.

Next, you’ll need to download the free Google Authenticator app on your smartphone. This can be found on either Google Play on Android or the App Store for iOS users. Use the Google Authenticator app to scan the QR code that Nintendo will display on their web page. Your phone will then give you a six-digit code to complete the setup and a series of one-time use backup codes that should be kept in a safe location.

Implementing two-step verification will make accessing your Nintendo Account take slightly longer as you’ll have to enter a six-digit code from the Google Authenticator app in addition to their password to log in. This might be a mild inconvenience, but Nintendo Switch owners can rest easy knowing that nobody else has access to their account. It’s never fun to be on the phone with customer service, so this one change can save Nintendo Switch owners from a lot of annoyance.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

When not playing or writing about games, Tyler Treese serves as the Senior Editor at Wrestlezone. An experienced writer that…

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