Twitter says users can now enroll in 2FA without a phone number and disable SMS-based 2FA as default, allows other methods such as mobile authenticator apps
And it only took Twitter's CEO getting hacked to happen. — Twitter announced today that users will finally be able to disable SMS-based …
The stakes are visible in Twitter's own data: its transparency report showed just 2.3% of active accounts had 2FA enabled, and nearly 80% of those leaned on SMS — so changing the default, not adding options, is what moves the population.
First-order effects
High-profile users who never wanted to hand Twitter a phone number can finally secure their accounts, and existing users can demote SMS from default to opt-in in favor of authenticator apps.
Second-order effects
Authenticator-app vendors like Authy become the path of least resistance for most of Twitter's user base, while carriers lose a slice of the verification traffic they had been riding on by default.
Third-order effects
The endpoint of this arc arrived in 2023, when Twitter went further and made SMS-based 2FA a paid perk reserved for Blue subscribers while steering everyone else to apps and physical keys — suggesting platform security factors migrate from universal free defaults to tiered product lines.
The trend: Major social platforms are systematically retiring SMS as an authentication factor — first de-defaulting it, then monetizing it — pushing users toward authenticator apps and hardware keys.
We're also making it easier to secure your account with Two-Factor Authentication. Starting today, you can enroll in 2FA without a phone number. https://twitter.com/...
Another 🔑 update today: you can now use Two Factor Authentication without linking a phone number. If you already have your phone number linked along with App-based 2FA, you can unlink your 📞 it in the “Account” section of your settings while still keeping 2FA on. https://twitter.…
We've updated how you can use two-factor authentication, allowing you to enable it with or without a phone number. Here's how to add extra security to your account using an authorization app, physical security key, or SMS text message: https://help.twitter.com/... https://twitte…
We're happy to see Twitter adopting this best practice and giving users more options to enable two-factor authentication on their accounts. https://twitter.com/...
This is a big deal; can finally use 2FA on Twitter without a phone number (I just verified it works) - Greater protection against SIM jacking w/ no number linked - Some activists stopped using 2FA because SMS was a risk for them; better now https://twitter.com/...
Here's your chance to get your mobile number (meaning for most of you, your wireless carrier's front-line tech support) out of the critical path of your account's security. https://twitter.com/...
If you are reading this you're on Twitter, so take two minutes and click the your profile->settings->account-> security and turn on two factor now! If you're a political animal or human rights defender you're at particular risk, so no excuses! https://twitter.com/...
About a month ago, Twitter disclosed it was inadvertently helping advertisers target users based on phone numbers provided to secure their accounts with 2FA. (It declined to say how long it had been doing so): https://gizmodo.com/... https://twitter.com/...