---
title: "Configuring two-factor authentication on an Exchange account"
description: "Find out how to configure two-factor authentication on an Exchange account"
url: https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/web-cloud/email-and-collaborative-solutions/microsoft-exchange/manage-2fa-exchange
lang: en
lastUpdated: 2025-04-28
---
# Configuring two-factor authentication on an Exchange account

## Objective

If you wish to increase the security on your Exchange account, you can enable two-factor authentication (2FA). This will generate a random code that must be entered when you log in, in addition to your password. This code is generated using a one-time password (OTP) app, which must be installed on your smartphone or tablet.

**This guide explains how to enable two-factor authentication on your Exchange account.**

## Requirements

- an [OVHcloud Exchange solution](https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-gb/emails/hosted-exchange/) already set up
- an OTP mobile application installed on your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet

:::info
**OTP mobile applications**

You can choose from a number of OTP applications. Here are two examples that are free to use.

- For Android: Free OTP
- For iOS: OTP Auth

:::

***
### OVHcloud Control Panel Access
- **Direct link:** <ManagerLink to="/#/web/exchange">Exchange</ManagerLink>
- **Navigation path:** <code className="action">Web Cloud</code> > <code className="action">Exchange</code> > Select your platform
***

## Instructions

### First configuration

#### Step 1: Enable two-factor authentication on the platform

For the initial configuration, you need to enable two-factor authentication on the Exchange service before enabling it on an account.

Switch to the `Security
` tab.
1. Under “Two-factor authentication”, click on <code className="action">Enabled</code>.
2. To finish, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on <code className="action">Save changes</code>.


#### Step 2: Enable two-factor authentication on an account

After enabling two-factor authentication on the Exchange service, you can then enable it on each one of your accounts.

Go to the `Email accounts
` tab and click on `...
` to the right of the account on which you wish to enable two-factor authentication, then click on `Enable two-factor authentication
`.
![2fa-exchange](/images/web-cloud/email-and-collaborative-solutions/microsoft-exchange/manage-2fa-exchange/2fa-exchange-01.png)
To link the Exchange account to your OTP app, log in to your [webmail](https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-gb/mail/).

At the first attempt to log in, a QR code will appear. Use your OTP app to scan it, then enter the code that the app generates to log in.

![2fa-exchange](/images/web-cloud/email-and-collaborative-solutions/microsoft-exchange/manage-2fa-exchange/2fa-exchange-02.png)
When you next log in, webmail will only ask for the code generated by the app.

### Disabling two-factor authentication

You can disable two-factor authentication on your account in three ways.

From the `Email accounts
` tab, click on `...
` to the right of the account on which two-factor authentication is already enabled.
![2fa-exchange](/images/web-cloud/email-and-collaborative-solutions/microsoft-exchange/manage-2fa-exchange/2fa-exchange-04.png)
Select the option that you need according to the table below:

| No. | Purpose                             | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| --- | ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1.  | “Disable two-factor authentication” | Suspends two-factor authentication for a defined number of hours. Once the time period has passed, the two-factor authentication will be reactivated. <br /> _For example: a user has forgotten their phone and cannot authenticate themselves with the OTP app._ |
| 2.  | “Reset two-factor authentication”   | Resets the QR code requested when you first log in to webmail.<br /> _For example: a user has changed phones and needs to reconfigure their OTP application._                                                                                                     |
| 3.  | “Remove two-factor authentication”  | Fully removes two-factor authentication from the account.                                                                                                                                                                                                         |

## Go further [](#)
Join our [community of users](https://community.ovhcloud.com/community/en).