Protecting your account
Turning on an authenticator app, and what it unlocks.
You get into Friym with an email address and a 6-digit code, or with a Google or Apple account. No password — which has a direct consequence: whoever holds your inbox holds your account.
Protecting your account means adding a second condition that your inbox alone can't satisfy.
Where it lives
Profile tab → ⚙️ → "Account security" → "Authentication"
The screen carries three rows: "Authenticator app" (Enabled / Not enabled), "Recovery codes" ({n} codes left), and "Recovery address" (the address, or Not set).
The two states
The screen sums up your situation in one sentence, right at the top.
| State | What it says |
|---|---|
| Unprotected account | "An emailed code is enough to sign in. Enabling authentication unlocks recovery codes and a recovery address." |
| Protected account | "An authentication code is required at every sign-in." |
First of all, what is an "authenticator app"?
If the term means nothing to you, you're not alone, and it isn't complicated.
It's a small free app, installed on your phone, that shows a 6-digit code that changes every 30 seconds. Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy, Aegis: they all do the same thing, take whichever you like.
What makes it useful is that it works without network and without SMS. The code isn't sent anywhere: it's computed on your phone, from a secret that only it and Friym know. So nobody can intercept it on the way, or coax it out of you by taking over your inbox.
Install it before you start
Setup happens in one go, and it's on a timer. If you have to go and fetch the app halfway through, you risk running out of time.
Turning authentication on
Add Friym to your app
The screen offers "Open my authenticator app" and shows a key to copy. Both do the same thing: give your app the secret it shares with Friym.
If the button doesn't work — which happens — copy the key by hand into your app, choosing "add an account manually". It's a bit tedious, but it always works.
Enter the code shown, within 15 minutes
Your app now shows a 6-digit code for Friym. Copy it into the setup screen.
Mind the clock: "Activation must be confirmed within 15 minutes. You'll need to start over." That limit exists because between the moment the key is generated and the moment you confirm, it sits on screen — better that it doesn't sit there all day.
Sign your other devices back in
As you confirm, the screen warns: "Your other devices will be signed out."
That's normal and intended: if somebody was already signed in as you, your new protection would be worthless while their session stays open. Turning on authentication is also a clear-out. You'll simply sign back in, with your new code.
Write down your recovery codes
Don't skip this one — it's the step people regret. Your phone can be lost, stolen or wiped, and without your app, your ten recovery codes are the only door left.
They're shown once. Two minutes now save you from writing to us on a day when there won't be much we can do.
What it unlocks
Three things are only available to a protected account:
Sellers: it's also the condition for getting paid
Saving or changing your payout details requires proof through an authenticator app. An emailed code isn't enough. Without one, you can't tell Friym where to send your money. See Actions that need fresh proof.
At sign-in
On a protected account, Friym then asks you to enter the code shown by your app, along with the number of attempts left.
You get five per sign-in request. On the fifth, the request closes and you start again from the sign-in screen — this is not an account lock.
Only the doors you've opened are offered
If you never generated recovery codes, Friym won't offer them. Offering a door that doesn't exist would cost you an attempt for nothing.
Updated on September 14, 2026
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