Reddit has finally brought users the two-factor authentication, or 2FA, after a thorough beta test with users, developers, and more.

This 2FA now adds a new layer of security support for users accounts. After logging into their account, users will be prompted to enter a six-digit verification code that will be generated by the user's smartphone.

It not only works on smartphones but also across desktops and third-party apps. 2FA will require an authenticator app like Google Authenticator or Authy. It will also be supported with the TOTP protocol, which stands for Time-based One-Time Password protocol.

How To Use 2FA On Reddit

Reddit users who happen to publish controversial stuff or they simply want to protect themselves and their accounts, then switching on this new feature through the settings tab will help.

For users with a Reddit account and wanting to set up 2FA, the process is quite simple. First, they’ll need to log in to their Reddit account, click on preferences in the menu at the top, then select the password/email option. Next, simply select the option to enable two-factor authentication and then complete the prompts to set it up.

This extra security with the 2FA means that if someone has a users Reddit password but not the 2FA code they still won’t be able to access the account. The new feature can also generate 10 backup codes that help with security. For example, if someone loses their phone or have issues with the authenticator app, then they can still access their accounts with one of the generated codes.

A majority of websites already use 2FA and earlier in the week Google engineer actually revealed that a huge portion of their email users doesn't use the feature. According to reports, more than 90 percent of their active Gmail accounts don’t actually use 2FA. That’s a huge problem and typically members who don’t use two-factor authentication when it is offered find themselves in trouble.

What Is 2FA?

Two-factor authentication is nothing new and has been around for quite some time and most websites already use the security process. 2FA adds an extra step to the user's basic login procedure. The extra step makes users account more secure. When only entering a username and password, that’s considered a single-factor authentication.

Unfortunately, 2FA is not impervious to hackers and sleuths on the web but it is still a reliable source for keeping accounts safe.