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

No. Kickstarter’s help talks about setting up your phone, but all it checks is the six-digit code, and any standard authenticator produces it. The Authenticator extension reads the QR code straight off the Kickstarter page and generates the codes in Chrome.

Why does Kickstarter not ask for the code every time?

Kickstarter asks for it only when you sign in from a device it does not recognise — a new computer, a new browser, or after clearing cookies. On your usual computer you may not be asked at all for a long time.

What if I lose access to my authenticator?

Kickstarter does not document backup codes, so the way back is a second copy of the account in another authenticator app, the extension’s automatic backups, or Kickstarter’s Support team. The second copy takes a minute during setup; it cannot be made afterwards without the key.

Why does Kickstarter 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. If it still fails, the account may have been added from an old QR code — remove it from the extension and set two-factor authentication up again.

Kickstarter Authenticator App — Enable Two-Factor Authentication

A Kickstarter account holds your saved payment methods, your pledges and your shipping address — and for creators, the project and its backers. With two-factor authentication on, Kickstarter asks for a code from your authentication app whenever you sign in from an unfamiliar device, so a stolen password alone does not get anyone in.

Turn on two-factor authentication at Kickstarter

Kickstarter asks for the code only when you sign in from a device it does not recognise, so you may go months without seeing it — which makes it easy to forget where the codes live. Its help offers no backup codes, so read the section on getting back in before you start.

Sign in at kickstarter.com on your computer.
Open your profile menu and go to your “Account” settings.
Select “Set up two-factor authentication”.
If Kickstarter asks how you want to get codes, choose the authentication app.
Kickstarter shows a QR code. Leave it on the screen and add it to the extension as described below — then enter the six-digit code from the extension to finish.

Kickstarter’s own instructions

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

Get 2FA Authenticator for Chrome — free

Plan a way back into Kickstarter

Kickstarter’s help pages do not describe backup codes; they say that if you cannot log in after changing devices, or cannot generate a code, you should contact Kickstarter’s Support team. So make your own way back before you need it: while the QR code is on the screen, scan it with an authenticator app on your phone as well — both will show the same codes — and keep the extension’s automatic backups on.

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 Kickstarter two-factor authentication?: No. Kickstarter’s help talks about setting up your phone, but all it checks is the six-digit code, and any standard authenticator produces it. The Authenticator extension reads the QR code straight off the Kickstarter page and generates the codes in Chrome.
Why does Kickstarter not ask for the code every time?: Kickstarter asks for it only when you sign in from a device it does not recognise — a new computer, a new browser, or after clearing cookies. On your usual computer you may not be asked at all for a long time.
What if I lose access to my authenticator?: Kickstarter does not document backup codes, so the way back is a second copy of the account in another authenticator app, the extension’s automatic backups, or Kickstarter’s Support team. The second copy takes a minute during setup; it cannot be made afterwards without the key.
Why does Kickstarter 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. If it still fails, the account may have been added from an old QR code — remove it from the extension and set two-factor authentication 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.