Codes and verification
The three kinds of verification in TACENZA – emailed codes, authenticator codes for two-factor sign-in, and safety numbers – and how to fix each.
TACENZA uses three different things that are all called “verification”. They aren’t interchangeable, and each fails for different reasons. Find the one you’re dealing with below.
| What it is | Where you meet it | |
|---|---|---|
| Emailed code | 6 digits sent to you, to prove an email address is yours | Turning on email notifications in Settings › Notifications |
| Authenticator code | 6 digits from an app on your phone, new every 30 seconds | Logging in with two-factor sign-in on |
| Safety number | Numbers you compare with a contact. Nothing to type | A chat’s info, and Settings › Security Center |
Emailed codes
When you turn on email notifications in Settings › Notifications, Tacenza sends a 6-digit code to the address you entered. It’s the only code Tacenza Chat sends by email. Nothing is ever sent by text message.
- A code works for 30 minutes.
- After 5 wrong tries, the code stops working. Ask for a new one.
- Email notifications are only offered when the server can send email.
The code didn’t arrive
- Wait a minute, and check spam or junk.
- Check the address for typos. To fix it, select Cancel, then enter the address again.
- Select Send code again. Only the newest code works.
“That code didn’t work, or it has expired. Ask for a new one.”
The code was mistyped, older than 30 minutes, or replaced by a newer one. Select Cancel and then Send code to get a new one.
Authenticator codes (two-factor sign-in)
With two-factor sign-in on, logging in asks for an Authenticator code. It comes from the app you scanned the QR code with, not by email or text. TACENZA Chat and TACENZA Mail have separate two-factor setups, with separate codes.
“That code didn’t work. Use the newest code from your authenticator app; each code works once.”
- Use the code for the right account. Your app may hold several.
- Type the newest code, not one that’s about to change.
- Each code works once. If you just used it, wait for the next.
- Make sure your phone sets its time automatically. Codes depend on the clock.
Lost your phone or the app
- Chat: reset your password with your recovery key. That also turns two-factor off. See Getting back into your account.
- Mail: use the key you saved when you set it up, in a new authenticator app. A company’s admin can also reset your password, which turns two-factor off.
See Two-factor codes aren’t working.
Safety numbers
A safety number isn’t a code you enter. It’s a set of numbers made from your keys and a contact’s keys. If they match on both your devices, nobody is sitting in between you.
Verify a contact
- Open the chat’s info and select Safety number, or go to Settings › Security Center › Safety numbers and select Verify.
- Compare the numbers in person or on a call you trust.
- If they match, select Mark as verified.
Tacenza warns you if a verified contact’s numbers ever change.
“The key for … has changed.”
It can mean they have a new account, or that someone is pretending to be them. Before you write anything sensitive, compare safety numbers again, the same way. See A safety number changed and How encryption works.