Two-factor sign-in, explained
Two-factor means your password plus a six-digit number from an app on your phone. Even if somebody learns your password, they cannot get in without your phone. It is optional on the portal, and recommended, because your portal holds files meant only for you.
Two ways to get the code
An authenticator app on your phone, which shows the code without anything being sent. This is the stronger of the two. Or a code by email: nothing to install, we email you a six-digit code each time you sign in. You pick on your Account page, and you can change your mind later.
Codes by email
- Sign in to the portal, open Account, and choose Email me a code.
- A code arrives in your inbox. Type it on the screen and it is on.
- From then on, after your password, check your email for the code and type it. Tick "Remember this browser" and your own computer is not asked again for 30 days.
No email? Give it a minute and look in junk or spam; the sender is Primera Works. "Send another code" on the sign-in page sends a fresh one.
Before you start with an app
You need an authenticator app on your phone. Microsoft Authenticator and Google Authenticator are free: search for either in the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android) and install it. If you already use an authenticator app for work or your bank, that one works too.
Setting up an app
- Sign in to the portal and open Account, then Use an app.
- In the authenticator app, add an account: look for a plus sign or "Add account", then "Scan a QR code".
- Point the phone's camera at the square code on the screen.
- The app shows a six-digit number for Primera Works. Type it into the box on the screen and confirm.
If the camera will not scan, choose "Enter a setup key" in the app and type the key shown under "Or type the key by hand".
Signing in once it is set up
- Enter your email and password as usual.
- Open the authenticator app and find the entry named Primera Works.
- Type the six-digit number beside it. It changes every 30 seconds, so use the one showing now, with no spaces.
When the code is refused
- Wait for the next number and try again. A number is only good for a short while.
- Make sure you are reading the entry named Primera Works, not another account in the app.
- Check that your phone's date and time are set automatically. The numbers depend on the clock.
New phone, or lost it
Ask your Primera Works contact to reset your two-factor. Once they have, sign in with your password alone and, if you want it back, set it up again from your Account page with the new phone.