Do I have to install an app on my personal phone for Workday?

No. Workday only checks the six-digit code, and any standard authenticator produces it. The Authenticator extension generates the codes in Chrome on your work computer and reads the QR code straight off the Workday setup screen.

I got a new phone or computer. How do I move my Workday authenticator?

With the extension, export a backup or restore one of its automatic backups on the new computer — the codes carry on working. If the old device is gone, sign in with a backup code or ask your HR or IT help desk to reset your authenticator, then scan the new QR code.

Can I use Duo or another paid app for Workday?

Only if your employer set Workday up with it. Workday’s own authenticator option uses standard codes that free apps generate; some employers warn that apps like Duo are not licensed for it. Use whatever the setup screen asks for.

Why does Workday 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 — ask your help desk to reset the authenticator and set it up again.

Workday Authenticator App on PC — Set Up Workday MFA Without a Phone

Workday holds your pay slips, bank details for your salary, tax forms and personal records, so employers switch on multi-factor authentication to keep a stolen password from redirecting someone’s pay. If you would rather not install an app on your personal phone for work, an authenticator in the browser on your work computer does the same job.

Set up the authenticator app in Workday

Workday’s sign-in rules are set by each employer, so your screens may differ. Some employers sign you in to Workday through the company’s own login (Okta, Microsoft, Duo) — then the codes belong to that system, and this guide applies only if it shows an “authenticator app” option with a QR code. Workday’s own help is behind your employer’s login, so there is no public page to link to.

Open your employer’s Workday sign-in page on your computer and sign in with your username and password.
On the “Extra Verification Required” screen, click “Set Up Now”. Workday may let you postpone this a few times with “Maybe Later”.
The “Set Up Authenticator App” screen shows a QR code and a secret key.
Leave the QR code on the screen and add it to the extension as described below — or copy the secret key for manual entry.
Enter the six-digit code from the extension into Workday and continue.

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

Get 2FA Authenticator for Chrome — free

Save your Workday backup codes

If your employer has them turned on, Workday shows a set of single-use backup codes right after setup. Write them down or save them somewhere other than this computer — each signs you in once when the authenticator is not at hand. If Workday shows none, your way back is your HR or IT help desk, which can reset your authenticator.

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 have to install an app on my personal phone for Workday?: No. Workday only checks the six-digit code, and any standard authenticator produces it. The Authenticator extension generates the codes in Chrome on your work computer and reads the QR code straight off the Workday setup screen.
I got a new phone or computer. How do I move my Workday authenticator?: With the extension, export a backup or restore one of its automatic backups on the new computer — the codes carry on working. If the old device is gone, sign in with a backup code or ask your HR or IT help desk to reset your authenticator, then scan the new QR code.
Can I use Duo or another paid app for Workday?: Only if your employer set Workday up with it. Workday’s own authenticator option uses standard codes that free apps generate; some employers warn that apps like Duo are not licensed for it. Use whatever the setup screen asks for.
Why does Workday 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 — ask your help desk to reset the authenticator and set it up again.

Your codes, one click from the login page

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