BePrepared does not offer authenticator-app two-factor authentication yet, so there is no QR code to scan and there are no recovery codes to save. It does add a second check of its own: after 10 password sign-ins without a code, your next sign-in needs a one-time code sent to your email or phone.
Is there two-factor authentication on BePrepared?
Not in the authenticator-app sense. Two-factor authentication adds a second check at sign-in, so a stolen password alone cannot reach your account. BePrepared has no setting to pair an authenticator app, and no codes to print and store.
What it has instead is a recurring code check, a strong-password control, and a data export:
- Codes instead of a password. Every so often, sign-in asks for a 6-digit code instead of your password. The next section explains when and why.
- Your password. You change it on the Account tab of your profile.
- Your data. You can download a full copy of it at any time.
If you only see Password and Export My Data on the Account tab, with no two-factor option, that is expected. If someone asks you where to scan an authenticator code, there is nowhere to scan one, and no authenticator app or recovery codes are needed.
Why am I being asked for a code instead of my password?
Because your account has reached 10 password sign-ins since its last one-time code, so this sign-in has to use a code. The sign-in screen says: "For your security, please sign in with a one-time code this time."
- Enter your email as usual. The screen skips the password step.
- Where the code goes depends on your account:
- No phone number on file: the code is emailed to your account's address right away.
- A phone number on file: the screen asks How should we send your code?, under a note titled One quick security check. Choose Email me a code or Text me a code. The number is masked, so only the last four digits show.
- You first signed up by text: the code is texted straight to the phone on file, and the code screen still lets you switch to email.
- Enter the 6-digit code to finish signing in.
A successful code sign-in resets the count to zero, so you get another 10 password sign-ins before the next check. The check is enforced on our servers. Trying your password again does not get around it.
You can also use a code any time you like. On the sign-in screen, choose Sign in with a one-time code instead. That also resets the count.
If you ask for too many text codes in a short time, you will see "Too many code requests." Wait a while, or switch to the emailed code.
If you sign in with Continue with Google, Google handles that sign-in. The protections on your Google account apply to it, including Google's own 2-Step Verification if you have turned it on.
How do I make my password stronger?
Change it from the Password card on the Account tab, and choose one you do not use anywhere else. A strong, unique password is your best protection while authenticator-app sign-in is not available.
- Open your profile and select the Account tab.
- In the Password card, choose Change Password.
- Enter your current password, then the new one twice. The new password must be at least 8 characters and different from the current one.
- Watch the strength meter, which rates the new password Weak, Fair, Good, or Strong. It rewards length of 8 or more plus a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Save it. We email you to confirm that your password changed.
Forgot your password? Use Forgot password? on the sign-in screen to reset it.
For an extra layer today, keep your BePrepared password in a password manager that has its own two-factor sign-in. That protects the password itself, even though BePrepared cannot yet ask for an authenticator code.
Downloading a copy of your account data
The Export My Data card on the Account tab downloads a complete copy of your personal data as a JSON file. Choose Export My Data whenever you want one for your records.
The file is named with your first name, last name, and the date, in the form FirstName_LastName_data_export_YYYYMMDD.json. It holds your profile, your BeReady plans, your saved supply items, and your billing history.
If you think someone else has your password
- Change it right away from the Password card. You will get an email confirming the change.
- Sign in with a one-time code for a while. A code only reaches your email or your phone, so a password alone does not finish that sign-in.
- Export your data if you want a clean record of what the account held.
If two people in your household have been sharing one sign-in, remember that the recurring code goes to the account's email or phone. Whoever does not have that inbox cannot finish a code sign-in. To let family see your plan without your password, share the plan with the people in it instead.
Your account holds your addresses, your plan, and your supply records, so a locked-down sign-in guards everything else you do in BePrepared.