How to Safely Share 2FA Codes with Your Team (Without Breaking Security)

In the early days of a startup, sharing a login is easy. You just text the verification code to your co-founder.

But as your team grows to 5, 10, or 50 people, "Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) friction" becomes a major productivity killer. You’ve likely experienced the bottleneck: a developer is locked out of AWS, or a marketing manager can't get into the company Instagram, because the 2FA code is tied to the CEO's personal phone.

Sharing these codes is a necessity, but doing it the wrong way—via Slack, WhatsApp, or sticky notes—leaves your company vulnerable to hacks. Here is how to manage shared 2FA codes securely.

The Problem with Traditional 2FA Apps

Standard apps like Google Authenticator or Authy were built for individuals, not companies.

Device Dependency: The "seed" (the secret key) is trapped on one physical phone.

The "Bus Factor": If the person holding the 2FA device is in a meeting, on vacation, or leaves the company, your team is locked out.

Security Gaps: Copy-pasting codes into Slack or email creates a plain-text trail that hackers love.

3 Ways to Share 2FA Codes in a Business

1. The "Secret Key" Spreadsheet (Not Recommended)
Some teams save the 2FA "Secret Key" (the string of text you get when setting up 2FA) in a shared doc. When someone needs a code, they paste that key into their own authenticator app.

Risk: If that document is leaked, every single one of your accounts is compromised. It also doesn't allow you to revoke access when an employee leaves.

2. Enterprise Password Managers
Tools like 1Password or Bitwarden allow you to store 2FA seeds within a shared vault.

Pros: Secure and centralized.

Cons: These tools are often "overkill" for quick 2FA access and can be expensive for SMEs who only need the 2FA functionality without moving their entire password infrastructure.

3. Dedicated Team 2FA Tools (The Modern Way)
This is where a dedicated solution like Orthy comes in. Instead of tethering a login to one person’s phone, Orthy creates a secure, end-to-end encrypted vault that your entire team can access via Android or iOS.

Why SMEs are Switching to Orthy for 2FA

Orthy was designed specifically to solve the "SME bottleneck." It provides the security of an enterprise tool with the simplicity of a mobile app.

Real-Time Sync: When you add a 2FA account to Orthy, it’s instantly available to every authorized team member.

Zero-Knowledge Encryption: Your codes are encrypted on your device before they ever hit a server. Even the Orthy team can't see your tokens.

Easy Offboarding: When an employee leaves, you simply remove them from the Orthy group. No need to reset 2FA on twenty different accounts.

Cross-Platform: Whether your team is on iPhone or Android, everyone stays in sync.

Best Practices for Team Security

Never share codes in plain text: Avoid Slack, Teams, or SMS.

Audit access regularly: Every 90 days, check who has access to your 2FA vault.

Use 2FA for everything: From your domain registrar to your social media, if 2FA is an option, turn it on.

Stop Being the Bottleneck

Your time as a founder or manager is too valuable to be spent texting 6-digit codes to your team. By moving to a shared 2FA model, you increase your company's security posture while giving your team the autonomy they need to move fast.

Ready to streamline your team's workflow? Try Orthy for free and share your first 2FA token in under 60 seconds.