Do I need a phone app for EA two-factor authentication?

No. EA’s instructions mention a mobile device because that is where most people keep an authenticator, but all EA checks is the six-digit code. The Authenticator extension generates it in Chrome on your computer and can read the QR code straight off the EA Account page.

Can I keep email codes as well as the authenticator app?

Yes. EA lets you have several verification methods on at once, shows them all under Two-factor authentication, and lets you set a preferred one. If the preferred method is not at hand when you sign in, you can choose another one you have enabled.

What if I lose access to my authenticator?

Sign in with one of your backup codes or another method you enabled, then select “Edit” under Two-factor authentication to set the authenticator up again. With none of them, contact EA Help to recover the account — which is why saving the backup codes, and keeping the extension’s automatic backups on, matters.

Why does EA say my code is wrong?

Usually the computer clock is off by a minute or more. Turn on automatic date and time and try the next code — and if the current one is about to run out, wait for a new one. If it still fails, the account may have been added from an old QR code — remove it from the extension and set the authenticator up again.

EA Authenticator App — Turn On Two-Factor Authentication

One EA Account signs you in to the EA app, your game library and purchases, and the progress you have in games like EA SPORTS FC and Apex Legends — so a stolen password puts all of it at risk. With 2FA on, EA asks for a code whenever a new device tries to log in. EA points out that an authenticator app adds a layer email and text messages do not: the codes are made on your own device instead of being sent to you.

Turn on two-factor authentication at EA

EA offers three ways to get codes — email, an authenticator app and text messages — and lets you keep several, with one set as preferred. If 2FA is already on with email codes, select “Edit” next to your verification methods instead of “Turn On”. EA may ask you to verify it is you before it changes security settings.

Sign in to your EA Account at myaccount.ea.com on your computer and open the “Security and Privacy” page.
Scroll down and select “Two-factor authentication”.
Select “Turn On” — or “Edit” next to your verification methods if 2FA is already on.
Choose the “Authenticator app” tab and select “Set up”.
Follow the on-screen steps. When EA shows the QR code, leave it on the screen and add it to the extension as described below — then enter the code from the extension to verify.

EA’s own instructions

Add EA to Authenticator

Install 2FA Authenticator from the Chrome Web Store and pin it to the toolbar, so its icon is one click away.
Leave the EA page with the QR code open. Click the Authenticator icon, then “Add Account” → “QR Code” → “Scan QR from screen”.
The account appears in the list with a six-digit code that changes every 30 seconds. Rename it if you like — the name is only for you.
Go back to EA and type the current code into the confirmation field. If it is about to expire, wait for the next one.
EA confirms that two-factor authentication is on. From now on it will ask for a code when you sign in — click the extension icon and copy it.

No QR code, or it will not scan? Look for the option to enter a key manually on EA’s setup screen, copy the key, and add it in the extension with “Add Account” → “Manual” → “Secret Key”.

Get 2FA Authenticator for Chrome — free

View and save your EA backup codes

Once 2FA is on, select “View backup codes” and write the codes down somewhere other than this computer. EA is blunt about why: if you cannot use your chosen verification method, backup codes are the only way to sign in to your EA Account from a new device. EA’s help does not say how many you get — save all of them, and keep the extension’s automatic backups on as well.

The code is not accepted?

Almost always the computer’s clock. The codes are calculated from the current time, so a clock that is a minute off produces codes that look right and are refused. Turn on automatic date and time in your system settings — step-by-step for Windows, macOS and Linux.

If the clock is right, check the key itself: paste it into the TOTP code generator and compare the code with the one in the extension. If they differ, the key was copied wrong — add the account again.

Questions

Do I need a phone app for EA two-factor authentication?: No. EA’s instructions mention a mobile device because that is where most people keep an authenticator, but all EA checks is the six-digit code. The Authenticator extension generates it in Chrome on your computer and can read the QR code straight off the EA Account page.
Can I keep email codes as well as the authenticator app?: Yes. EA lets you have several verification methods on at once, shows them all under Two-factor authentication, and lets you set a preferred one. If the preferred method is not at hand when you sign in, you can choose another one you have enabled.
What if I lose access to my authenticator?: Sign in with one of your backup codes or another method you enabled, then select “Edit” under Two-factor authentication to set the authenticator up again. With none of them, contact EA Help to recover the account — which is why saving the backup codes, and keeping the extension’s automatic backups on, matters.
Why does EA say my code is wrong?: Usually the computer clock is off by a minute or more. Turn on automatic date and time and try the next code — and if the current one is about to run out, wait for a new one. If it still fails, the account may have been added from an old QR code — remove it from the extension and set the authenticator up again.

Your codes, one click from the login page

Authenticator keeps your 2FA codes in the browser, on your device only — free to use, open source, no account and no phone needed. Local backups and optional password protection come built in.