--- title: "Multi-Factor SMS Authentication with Dialpad" slug: "multi-factor-sms-authentication-with-dialpad" updated: 2026-03-12T23:44:55Z published: 2026-03-12T23:44:55Z --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.dialpad.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Multi-Factor SMS Authentication with Dialpad Keeping users secure is essential. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of protection by requiring users to verify their identity through multiple methods, reducing the risk of fraud and compromised accounts. Dialpad’s SMS MFA solution is simple yet effective, sending a verification code directly to a user’s SMS number for quick and secure access. > [!NOTE] > Who can use this > > Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is mandatory for all Dialpad users who are not using one of our SAML or SSO integrations. > > You can use email MFA or SMS MFA, or both. > > SMS MFA is currently available in Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States. > > MFA is supported on all of Dialpad’s desktop, web, and mobile apps (Android & iOS). > > To use this feature on the mobile app, ensure you're on Dialpad version 30.0.0 or higher for iOS and 27.0.0.5 or higher for Android. ## How SMS multi-factor authentication works Once your Dialpad Company Admin has enabled multi-factor authentication (MFA), each time a Dialpad user signs in with their email and password, they’ll receive an SMS with a one-time password (OTP). ![Enter the verification code sent to your phone to proceed with authentication.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/Enter MFA Code.png) Once they’ve verified the OTP, they can log into Dialpad. When MFA is required for all users, users must complete MFA registration upon their next login to any Dialpad app or the Admin Portal. ![Authentication options for logging in without MFA setup, including SMS and email verification methods.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/MFA Log In with No Setup.png) > [!NOTE] > Note > > Users must use their personal numbers to set up SMS MFA; Dialpad account phone numbers can’t be used for SMS MFA. ## Add user to MFA exception list Sometimes, a user might not have access to SMS messaging to receive the one-time code. Company Admins can create exceptions that let specific users skip the MFA process. To add a user as an MFA exception, head to your Dialpad **Admin Settings**. 1. Select **My Company** 2. Select **Authentication**>**MFA** 3. In the **Exception List**, select **Add User** ![Admin Settings for the company. The Authentication for MFA shows the option to add a user to the Exception List.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/Add to Exception list.png) 4. In the **Add users to the exception list** window, enter the user’s name in the search bar 5. Select **Add users** > [!NOTE] > Note > > You can’t add Admins (Regional, Office, or Company) to the Exception List. The user(s) are displayed in the Exception List. ![A view of the Exception List for MFA authentication.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/Exception List.png) ## Remove user from MFA Exception List Company Admins can remove users from the Exception List at any time. To remove a user from the MFA Exception List, head to your Dialpad **Admin Settings**. 1. Select **My Company** 2. Select **Authentication**>**MFA** 3. In the **Exception List**, select**Remove** beside the user you want to remove ![A View of the Exception List in the MFA Authentication settings. The option to remove a user from the Exception List is highlighted.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/Remove Exception list.png) ## Unlock a user If a user has locked themselves out by entering the incorrect one-time password 5 times, admins can manually unlock the user. To unlock a user, head to your Dialpad **Admin Settings**. 1. Select **Office Settings** > **Users** 2. Go to the user and select **Options** > **Admin > Unlock account access** ![A list of users for an Office. The option to unlock a user account is highlighted.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/Unlock User.png) ## Setting up a phone number for SMS MFA Users need to set up SMS MFA using their personal phone number to receive an OTP code when logging into Dialpad. To add a phone number for SMS MFA, go to **Your Settings**. 1. Navigate to **Multi-Factor Authentication** 2. In **Available Methods**, select **Set Up** for the **Text Message (SMS)** option ![Your Settings page shows the options to set up MFA for the user's account.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/Set Up SMS MFA.png) 3. In the **SMS authentication setup** window, enter your phone number and select **Send Code** ![SMS authentication setup screen requesting a personal phone number for verification.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/image-1758058583085.png) 4. In the verification window, enter the code sent to your personal mobile and select **Submit** ## Setting up a preferred MFA Method Users can choose which MFA method they want to use as their primary option. To set a preferred MFA method, head to **Your Settings**. 1. Navigate to **Multi-Factor Authentication** 2. In **Available Methods**, select **Options** > **Set as preferred** for your primary MFA method ![MFA methods for a user's account. The option to set SMS as the preferred MFA method is highlighted.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/Set Preferred MFA.png) 3. In the confirmation window, select **Confirm** A **Preferred** badge displays next to the desired MFA option. ## Frequently asked questions ### What if I enter the wrong verification code? Dialpad gives you 4 chances to enter the verification code before resending the code. 30 seconds after the first code is sent, the **resend-code** button is enabled. After 8 incorrect entries, you’re locked out of your account for 20 minutes. ![Account blocked message indicating identity verification failure and next steps for users.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/image-1758059565872.png) ### What if I don’t have access to SMS messaging? If you can’t access SMS messages to receive the verification code, contact your Company Admin to have them add your profile to the exclusion list. Then, you’ll be able to log in without MFA. ### Does the one-time password expire? Yes. The one-time password code will expire in 10 minutes. Once expired, it can not be used to verify multi-factor authentication, and you’ll need to request a new code. ### Can I change the phone number used to receive the code? No. The one-time password will be sent to the user's primary phone number registered at Dialpad. ### What if there is an outage with my phone carrier? If your phone carrier is experiencing an outage, you can turn on email MFA so users can still log in to Dialpad. To turn on email MFA, go to your **MFA settings** and select **Turn Off** beside SMS. Email MFA will automatically turn on. ![The different MFA options are shown, with the option to turn one method off highlighted.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/0f28ad44-2863-4372-a27e-c6728808d742/Images/Documentation/Carrier Outage.png) ### What if I don’t receive the verification SMS message? If you don’t receive the verification SMS message, try switching to email verification. If that doesn’t work, [contact our Customer Care team](https://dialpad.com/contact-support) to verify that it was sent successfully. ### What does it mean if I receive an email that my SMS authentication method is invalid? This means Dialpad can no longer send verification codes to the mobile number you previously set up for SMS MFA (for example, if you replied STOP to Dialpad’s SMS messages or changed your phone number). When this happens, Text Message (SMS) will not appear as an MFA option when you sign in. To fix this: 1. Sign in using another available method (for example, Email MFA), if you have one 2. Go to **Your Settings** 3. Select **Multi-Factor Authentication** 4. Navigate to **Text Message (SMS)** 5. Select **Options**, then: 1. Choose **Change phone** to update your mobile number and complete the verification steps, or 2. Choose **Remove** if you don’t want to use SMS MFA. If you can’t sign in with any method, contact your Company Admin or Dialpad Customer Care for help