Unable to Enable 2FA with Authenticator App - Option is Missing

[Alexzjt]

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Bug

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Hi everyone,

I'm trying to set up two-factor authentication (2FA) on my npm account, but I'm unable to find the option to use an authenticator app (like Google Authenticator, Authy, etc.).

What I've Tried
I went to my account settings to enable 2FA. Initially, I thought the "Add Security Key" option was the correct way to link an authenticator app. I tried for a long time but failed in the end. See 181802

I asked a friend who already has 2FA enabled with an authenticator app to show me their settings page. Their page has a dedicated "Authenticator App" section, which clearly states: Authenticator app is configured.

However, this entire "Authenticator App" section is completely missing from my account settings page. There is no UI element for it at all.

Further Verification
To confirm this wasn't an issue specific to my old account, I registered a brand new npm account today to test the flow. During the 2FA setup process, the only option presented to me was to add a "Security Key". The choice to use an authenticator app was never offered.

My Questions
What is the correct procedure to enable 2FA using an authenticator app? Is there a different workflow I'm missing?
Is this a known bug, or is the feature intentionally unavailable for some accounts?
Could this be related to a feature flag or A/B testing, where the authenticator app option is only rolled out to a subset of users?
I would greatly appreciate any clarification or guidance on this. It seems like a fundamental security feature is not accessible.

Thank you for your time and help!

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[MouadELouichouani]

hey @Alexzjt, for enabling 2FA with an authenticator app on GitHub should follow this normal flow:

Go to Settings → Password and authentication
Under Two-factor authentication, click Enable two-factor authentication
Choose Authentication app
Scan the QR code with an app like Google Authenticator, Authy, or 1Password
Enter the generated code and save your recovery codes
If the authenticator app option isn’t visible, it’s usually not a bug.

Common reasons include:
2FA is already enforced via another method (for example, security key or organization-required 2FA)
You’re managing 2FA for an organization or enterprise account, where methods can be restricted
The account is subject to policy or compliance rules that limit available methods

GitHub generally does not use A/B testing to hide core security features like authenticator apps. Availability is controlled by account state and policy, not feature flags.
If the option is missing and none of the above apply, the next step is to contact GitHub Support, as they can see exactly why the method isn’t available for your account.