This topic

How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

Trevsky — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:27:31 GMT

Hello,

For the life of me I do not seem to be able to speak to a human being via BTs tel number.

I did not ask for it but somehow my account was turned on to 2 step authentication recently. You used to be able to turn it off in ones own account but that option is no longer available. Can someone please advise how to turn it off or how to contact an actual person at BT, thank you

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

imjolly — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:29:56 GMT

you can't turn off - there are numerous forum posts on subject

easiest way to avoid is to use a mail app like Bluemail for phone or thunderbird for pc

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

Trevsky — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:46:07 GMT

When it was turned on by BT a few weeks ago they sent me a message saying that if I wanted to turn it off I should phone 03301234150 (their standard number) but when I do this, no matter what button on my keypad that I press does not get me to a human contact. Nobody these days seems to want us to contact them to actually discuss anything

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

licquorice — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:10:27 GMT

It cannot be turned off, pointless wasting your time calling BT.

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

Trevsky — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:13:44 GMT

Thank you for the reply. Amazing, all BT Broadband and e mail users have to sign in with 2 step authentication??

If I get chsnce I will try and find time to e mail the CEO

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

gg30340 — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:22:18 GMT

@Trevskywrote:

If I get chsnce I will try and find time to e mail the CEO

Another waste of time.

It is BT's email and accounts systems and they have decided that for security reasons the want all of its users to have 2FA activated on their accounts to help stop accounts being hacked or accessed by non authorised people.

If you do not want to use 2FA you will need to try and find a new provider who does not use it or a variation of it.

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

Trevsky — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:26:29 GMT

Many thanks for all replies to date. I find it unbelievable but there you go. Looks like I will have to think about moving on when my contract finishes end of the year

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

gg30340 — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:40:23 GMT

Did you move from your bank and all the other Internet sites that use 2FA or Passkeys?

Do you have to enter a PIN number or use biometrics to access your mobile phone or do you just leave it open to the world to access all your data if your phone is stolen.

I find it incredible that people are complaining about2FA on their email accounts when the vast majority of scams and Internet fraud is started through hackers gaining access to the person's email account invariably through a phishing email that the user replied to or a phishing phone call all of which would have been stopped if the email account had 2FA.

Good luck finding an ISP that will not require some sort of 2FA to access your account and finding an ISP that offers an email account.

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

Trevsky — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:45:57 GMT

That's a great reply. No, I do't leave my phone or bank access "open", so, really, you are correct, ha ha

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

chrisjp — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 22:01:44 GMT

"Looks like I will have to think about moving on when my contract finishes end of the year"

As has been said in a previous reply which you seem to have overlooked, just use an email client to access your emails. Once set up by inputting email address and password once, this allows email access with no logging on, no usernames and no passwords.

This is much simpler than moving to another ISP, who may well have introduced 2FA anyway.

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

Trevsky — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:17:40 GMT

Hi Chris,

No, I had not overlooked using another e mail client but it occurred to me to maybe move on to a cheaper provider. I am on Fibre2 at present at £43.99 per month. I only use it for a few emails and surfing the net. I don't watch or download any films, play games etc etc so maybe I can get a cheaper deal in view of what I use it for

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

gg30340 — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:50:31 GMT

Keep in mind that if you move to a new provider your BTMail email account will be downgraded to BTMail Basic which can only be used on a web browser and it will still have 2FA so there will be nothing to gain as regards your wanting to turn off 2FA on your email account.

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

shakey1981 — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:04:50 GMT

if this for email use the thunderbird client

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

gg30340 — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:11:19 GMT

@Trevskywrote:
Hi Chris,
No, I had not overlooked using another e mail client but it occurred to me to maybe move on to a cheaper provider. I am on Fibre2 at present at £43.99 per month. I only use it for a few emails and surfing the net. I don't watch or download any films, play games etc etc so maybe I can get a cheaper deal in view of what I use it for

Reference the above. I may be wrong but I think you may have misunderstood when it was mentioned to use an email client. An email client is not an email service such as BTMail or gmail.

At present you are using a web browser (webmail) to access your BTMail account. Webmail can be accessed anywhere in the world and by anyone who has knowledge of your email password. That is why you are having to use 2FA during the log on process to ensure that it is you accessing your account and not a hacker.

An email client is a stand alone program that you use to access your BTMail account. It is installed on your computer or mobile device and because it can only be used on those devices which are controlled by you, it does not require 2FA because unless your device has been stolen and you have not protected access to the device with a password or PIN the thief will not be able to use the email client.

There are numerous free email clients available for both computers and mobile devices.

Re: How Do I Turn Off Two Step Authentication

Trevsky — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:12:42 GMT

Hi gg30340, my sincere apologies as I had misunderstood the info about an e mail client.

I understand now. Many thanks for the guidance