Can I use Login.gov’s authentication app option without a phone?

Yes. Login.gov’s help says to choose a device “such as a computer or mobile device”, and lists Windows and Mac apps and Chrome extensions alongside phone apps. The Authenticator extension reads the QR code straight off the Login.gov page and generates the codes in Chrome.

Which authentication app works with Login.gov?

Any app that produces the standard six-digit codes. Login.gov names Google Authenticator, Authy, 1Password, LastPass and others as examples, and none of them should cost anything — if an app charges you for codes, Login.gov says it is likely a scam app.

What if I lose access to my authenticator?

Sign in with your other authentication method, then remove the lost one under “Manage” on your account page and add the authenticator again. If it was your only method, Login.gov cannot unlock the account: you have to delete it (after a 24-hour wait) and create a new one. What you saved with the agencies is not lost, but you reach it through the new account. Keeping the extension’s automatic backups on means a reinstall does not lose the codes.

Can I stop Login.gov from asking for a code every time?

You cannot turn the second step off, but you can tick “Remember this browser” when you enter a code. Login.gov then skips the code in that browser for up to 30 days — less if you clear cookies, update the browser or use a private window.

Login.gov Authenticator App — Turn On 2FA With an Authentication App

One Login.gov account signs you in to many US government services — the IRS, Social Security, SAM.gov, USAJOBS, Trusted Traveler Programs — and often holds a verified identity. Login.gov requires a second step on top of the password, and calls an authentication app more secure than text messages or phone calls against phishing and interception. Login.gov cannot unlock an account whose methods are all lost, so the method you choose matters.

Add an authentication app to Login.gov

Creating a new account? After your password, Login.gov asks you to set up a second layer of security — choose “Authentication application” there and continue from step 4. Login.gov does not let you turn the second step off, and it recommends having at least two authentication methods, because it cannot restore access if you lose your only one.

Sign in to your Login.gov account at secure.login.gov on your computer with your email, password and current authentication method.
On your account page, look through the “Your authentication methods” menu on the left.
Select “Enable” next to “Authentication app”. Login.gov may ask for a nickname for the app — any name works.
When Login.gov shows a QR code, leave that page open and add it to the extension as described below — or copy the code shown for manual entry. Then enter the six-digit code from the extension to finish.

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

Get 2FA Authenticator for Chrome — free

Add a second method, or Login.gov backup codes

Login.gov cannot let you back in if you lose every authentication method: you would have to delete the account and create a new one, which takes a 24-hour waiting period. So add a second method on the account page — a phone number, a security key, face or touch unlock — or backup codes: a set of ten single-use codes, with a new list offered when the tenth is used. Login.gov calls backup codes the least secure option and warns against using them as your only method; print or write them down and keep them away from this computer.

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 Login.gov’s authentication app option without a phone?: Yes. Login.gov’s help says to choose a device “such as a computer or mobile device”, and lists Windows and Mac apps and Chrome extensions alongside phone apps. The Authenticator extension reads the QR code straight off the Login.gov page and generates the codes in Chrome.
Which authentication app works with Login.gov?: Any app that produces the standard six-digit codes. Login.gov names Google Authenticator, Authy, 1Password, LastPass and others as examples, and none of them should cost anything — if an app charges you for codes, Login.gov says it is likely a scam app.
What if I lose access to my authenticator?: Sign in with your other authentication method, then remove the lost one under “Manage” on your account page and add the authenticator again. If it was your only method, Login.gov cannot unlock the account: you have to delete it (after a 24-hour wait) and create a new one. What you saved with the agencies is not lost, but you reach it through the new account. Keeping the extension’s automatic backups on means a reinstall does not lose the codes.
Can I stop Login.gov from asking for a code every time?: You cannot turn the second step off, but you can tick “Remember this browser” when you enter a code. Login.gov then skips the code in that browser for up to 30 days — less if you clear cookies, update the browser or use a private window.

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.