How to Setup Google Authenticator for WordPress Two-Factor Authentication?

Let's start the Google authenticator setup with the miniOrange Two-Factor Authentication plugin to make the user's account secure.

Pre-requisites For Setting Up Google Authenticator as 2FA method.

Before setting up 2FA, ensure you have:-

• An active WordPress site.
• Administrative access to the site.
• A smartphone (Android or iOS) with the Google Authenticator app installed.(You can install Google Authenticator App from the Google Play Store for android and the Apple App Store for iOS respectively.)
• miniOrange two-factor authentication plugin installed on your WordPress website.(You can free version WordPress 2FA from the WordPress plugin directory.)

Getting started with the Google Authenticator setup

Let’s see how an administrator can set up Google Authenticator for users. This can be done in two very simple ways:-

1. Setup Wizard
2. Dashboard of the plugin

1. Google Authenticator Setup through Setup Wizard

The setup wizard appears right after the successful installation and activation of the WordPress 2FA plugin. The Wizard guides you throughout the process of setting up 2FA(in this case Google Authenticator.)

Let’s follow the steps below to set up the Google Authenticator method as 2FA for your users.

Step 1: After activating the plugin, the following setup wizard screen appears

• Click on the Let’s get started! button.


Step 2: The wizard guides you to choose any one options for inline registration.
There are two option under inline registration:-

• Choose the first option “User should setup 2FA during first login.”
  Choosing this option as name suggests will make user’s compulsorily configure 2FA methods (in this case google Authenticator).
• Click on the Continue Setup button.


Step 3: Next you are guided to choose the user’s role for which you want to set Google authenticator as 2FA method.

• Choose the ”All users” option to set 2FA for all and click on the Continue Setup button.

OR

• Choose only for a specific roles option.
• Select the particular role for which you want to set 2FA. (As administrator has been chosen here. This will set the Google Authenticator method as 2FA only for the administrator's role.)
• Then, click on the Continue Setup button.


Step 4: There are again two options:-

1. Users should be directly enforced for 2FA Setup:- If you don’t want to give your users any period to set 2FA you can go with the first option.
Users will have to set 2FA during their first login to gain access to the account.

2. Give users a grace period to configure 2FA:- choosing this option will allow you to give your users a certain grace period within which users will be required to set their 2FA. Users will have to set 2FA after expiration of the grace period.

• Choose the “Users should be directly enforced for 2FA Setup” option and click on the All Done button.

• You have successfully configured the two-factor authentication.