Can I use a Gusto authenticator without a phone?

Yes. Gusto’s own help has instructions for setting up a desktop authenticator app on your computer by copying the setup key. The Authenticator extension can take that key or read the QR code straight off the Gusto page, and gives you the code in Chrome whenever Gusto asks.

Which authenticator app works with Gusto?

Any app that generates standard six-digit codes. Gusto names Google Authenticator for phones and Zoho OneAuth for computers as examples; the Authenticator extension works the same way in Chrome.

What if I lose access to my authenticator?

Sign in with a passkey if you added one. Otherwise, on the screen that asks for your code, click “Need help with 2-step verification?” and verify your identity with a photo ID and a selfie; if that does not work, call Gusto. Once you are in, set up the authenticator again under Settings → Security.

Do I have to enter a Gusto code every time I sign in?

Not on a device you trust: tick “Remember this device” when you enter the code, and Gusto asks again only after 30 days. If it keeps asking anyway, clearing your browser’s cookies for gusto.com and ticking the box again usually fixes it.

Gusto Authenticator App — Set Up 2-Step Verification

Gusto holds your pay stubs, tax forms, Social Security number and the bank account your pay goes to — and, for employers, the company’s payroll. That is why Gusto requires most users to set up 2-step verification. Gusto recommends an authenticator app over text messages: it keeps working without a cell signal, and no code can be lost in transit.

Turn on 2-step verification with an authenticator app in Gusto

Your Gusto account is tied to your email, not to each employer: one login and one 2-step verification cover every company you work for in Gusto. Admins find the setting under Settings → My profile instead. Gusto Retirement has a separate login with its own setup.

Sign in to Gusto at app.gusto.com on your computer.
Click your name in the top-right corner, then “Settings”.
Under “Personal”, click “Security”. Admins: click “Settings”, then “My profile”.
In the “2-step authentication” section, click “Set up” next to “Authenticator app”, pick “Authentication app” as your method and click “Continue”.
When Gusto shows a QR code, leave that page open and add it to the extension as described below — the setup key below the QR code works for manual entry, and the icon next to it copies it. Then click “Confirm”.

Gusto’s own instructions

Add Gusto 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 Gusto 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 Gusto and type the current code into the confirmation field. If it is about to expire, wait for the next one.
Gusto 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 Gusto’s setup screen, copy the key, and add it in the extension with “Add Account” → “Manual” → “Secret Key”.

Get 2FA Authenticator for Chrome — free

Gusto has no backup codes — set up a second way in

Gusto does not offer backup codes. To avoid a lockout, Gusto recommends adding a passkey as well as your authenticator, and in the same “2-step authentication” section you can add “Photo ID backup”, so Gusto can verify you with your ID if you ever cannot sign in. Without either, the way back is verifying your identity with a government-issued photo ID and a selfie, or calling Gusto. The extension’s automatic backups keep a reinstall from costing you the codes.

The code is not accepted?

Most often the QR code changed: the website makes a new one each time its setup page is reloaded or opened again, so the account you added first no longer matches. Start the setup again, add the QR code that is on the screen now and type its code in straight away. Two entries for the same website? Use the newest. Other reasons: why codes are refused.

Typed the key in by hand? 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

Can I use a Gusto authenticator without a phone?: Yes. Gusto’s own help has instructions for setting up a desktop authenticator app on your computer by copying the setup key. The Authenticator extension can take that key or read the QR code straight off the Gusto page, and gives you the code in Chrome whenever Gusto asks.
Which authenticator app works with Gusto?: Any app that generates standard six-digit codes. Gusto names Google Authenticator for phones and Zoho OneAuth for computers as examples; the Authenticator extension works the same way in Chrome.
What if I lose access to my authenticator?: Sign in with a passkey if you added one. Otherwise, on the screen that asks for your code, click “Need help with 2-step verification?” and verify your identity with a photo ID and a selfie; if that does not work, call Gusto. Once you are in, set up the authenticator again under Settings → Security.
Do I have to enter a Gusto code every time I sign in?: Not on a device you trust: tick “Remember this device” when you enter the code, and Gusto asks again only after 30 days. If it keeps asking anyway, clearing your browser’s cookies for gusto.com and ticking the box again usually fixes it.

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.