Impossible to get passed the confirm backup authentication code stage

Add-ons Firefox for Android Add-ons
1

Hi everyone,

I have been stuck for 3 days now and tried everything to get pass the authentication process.

I want to submit an Add on.
On my profile page, 2 step authentication is enabled.

When i click submit new add-on, i am directed to the Enable two-step authentication page anyway.
So ok i’ll do that:

“Scan authentication code to continue to ⁨Add-ons⁩”

So i use google authenticator. And im able to continue.

Then im presented with “Save backup authentication codes”, so i download them and store them.

PROBLEM:

On the next page, in need to “Confirm backup authentication code”.
ANY code i try, that was given to me in the previous step, doesn’t work.

Error: There was a problem confirming your backup authentication code.

not using caps or whatever
no spaces in there
tried all the codes
tried different browsers
The time and date are correct on both phone and windows 10

I have NO clue what to do anymore. I can’t get passed it.
Can someone please advice.

1 Like
2

Any developer that can help me out?
I am beyond stuck on this. Read every manual, and every post on this issue.

1 Like
3

Are you typing out the code or copy-pasing it? In the past I’ve encountered issues with some services where their codes include an invisible space (or hard to see) character, so when I copied and pasted one of the codes the provided I ended up including the space, which made the code invalid.

If that doesn’t help, I’m at a loss. I think your course of action is to visit the Mozilla Account support site and open a support request.

4

Hi dotproto,

Thanks for replying!
One would assume it’s something silly like that.

I tried both and anything in between.
It’s still hopeless haha.

I’m confident at this point that it’s not something on my side.
But of course, it’s a user issue at first.
Someone needs to look at that i think. I tried it on other pc’s, other browsers, different authenticator apps. What else could i do?

And i am very familiar with 2 step authentication. I have a bunch of accounts i use it on.

5

Ok, now i know it’s at least something with my account!

I just made a new account to see what happens.
It works in one swoop! No issues.

I got back to this account, still doesn’t work.

6

HUH. Unfortunately account issues like that are well out of my area of expertiese. Hopefully someone on the support site can get to the bottom of this. Good luck!

7

I have this exact same issue and it’s frustrating. I’ve tried to go through this process at least a dozen times to no avail.

8

I have found that if I go to Mozilla accounts and set up 2FA, it works fine. It accepts the backup codes and everything.

But… once you refresh the page afterwards, 2FA will be disabled again…

9

Hi Apk, i solved it though. Because everyone will tell you it’s a user mistake, it isn’t!

You can do what i did:

NOTE: if you don’t care which email address you use, the simple solution is > try other mail address. But if you want to use the one you have right now, follow these steps:
.

  1. Delete your current account (the one you want to use, the one you are using right now)
  1. Make a new account with a different email address (temporarily).
  • Make sure you use google authenticator and Firefox as the browser
  1. Now again go back here on your new account: Mozilla accounts
  • In the top, set a " Secondary email". Use the email address you used before (this APK one)
  • After that, make that secondary email, your primary email.

Hope that works for you. Did for me!
Somehow your account email is blocked. Maybe it’s marked as spam for no reason.
I have no clue. But i 100% believe you did everything right :slight_smile:

The Short Answer:
Delete account > Create new account with different email address > setup a secondary email address > set your secondary email as primary

10

@Apk, what you described might be a different issue. I just came across this bug on the mozilla/fxa repo that seems to match the behavior you described. Based on other reports, it seems like this might be a system clock sync issue.

@Jamie_Black I was just about to ask you to file a bug report on mozilla/fxa, but it sounds like the affected account no longer exists. Well, at least you solved the problem :sweat_smile:

11

Holy moly this actually worked without having to delete my account.

  1. Go to Mozilla accounts
  2. Enable 2FA, going through the process of adding an authenticator app/code, then storing and feeding it 1 backup code.
  3. When it works, it bumps you back to the screen where it erroneously says 2FA is enabled. Click “Disable” on it.
  4. Now go through the whole 2FA setup one more time, and it should actually be setup properly this time, even between refreshes.

It seems like maybe the state of 2FA gets messed up at Mozilla’s end somehow and this resets it properly.

1 Like
12

Thanks for the confirmation. I’ll pass the info you shared along to the accounts team.

13

Following up on this, I believe the accounts team has fixed the underlying issue here. Users should no longer be able to get into a state where they cannot confirm the backup codes given to them during the 2FA creation flow.

14

The same issue is happening to me now. Could you please inform the accounts team that this issue persists?

(Apk’s workaround doesn’t work for me. After inputting the backup code, it brings me back to the Mozilla accounts page, showing a pop-up with There was a problem enabling two-step authentication. Check that your device’s clock is set to update automatically and start over. message. Of course, I checked my device’s clock before this try.)

15

This is also happening to me on the Android app.

None of the workarounds mentioned seem to work.

16

Popping in to confirm that this is still an ongoing issue and the accounts team is actively working on it.

17

Any updates, waiting patiently for a official fix.

18

I gave a solution up there. Worked for me.

19

Would be nice to not have to delete one’s account :sweat_smile:

20

What use is your “new” account if you can’t use it? What’s the problem if you delete it? You have nothing there right? It takes 1 minutes to delete and make a new one.