MFA for Local Canvas Accounts with Administrative Privileges

As of July 1, 2026, Multi-factor Authentication is required by users with administrative privileges in Canvas. Users who log in via SSO are already doing MFA so this change will only affect the very small number of accounts that meet both the following criteria:

  • Have an account administrator role
  • Use the Canvas login instead of SSO (framingham.instructure.com/login/canvas)

What you will see Upon First Login

Users who meet the criteria above, upon logging in for the first time after July 1, 2026 will see the following screen:

Screenshot of Canvas Multi-Factor Authentication setup screen

The two options for MFA are:

  1. Input a US Phone number for an SMS text message. #1 in screenshot above. Please note that this number will be saved. You will not be prompted to enter a phone number the next time you log in. It will simply send the verification code to whatever number was chosen at your initial login.
  2. Use an Authenticator App (#2 and #3 in screenshot above, see more info below) 

Using the SMS method is probably the easier choice, especially for users who do not use this account regularly. However, using an authenticator app is recommended by Instructure as the more secure method. It is very likely that within the next few years, the option to use SMS for authentication will be removed.

Whichever option you choose will be remembered, and the next time you log in you will simply be asked to enter a verification code as shown below:

Uploaded Image (Thumbnail)

If a user wishes to reset their MFA settings in order to change authentication method, they must reach out to ETO (eto@framingham.edu).

Using an Authenticator App

To use this option, you must have a mobile device with some authenticator app installed. There may be a native app on your device, such as the Passwords App for iPhone or Google Authenticator for Android. There are also many free third-party apps such as Authy, FreeOTP, Step Two, etc. and the Microsoft Authenticator App, which you may already have on your device because it is the one that is used for FSU's Single Sign-on (SSO) login. It is fine to use the Microsoft Authenticator app for this login as well, but it may be slightly confusing because the process will not be the same as it is for FSU's SSO. Therefore, you may want to use a different app for this login, or use the SMS option to avoid confusion.

Which ever app you choose, you will have two ways to make the initial configuration for the local Canvas login:

  1. QR Code: Open the app (Authenticator, Password, Authy, etc) and add a new account. This will be a different process for each app, but for most there is a "+" button. When you click it, there will be an option to either set up the account manually or to scan a QR code. If you choose QR code, it will activate the camera, and you can use it to scan the code on your screen (#2 in screenshot above). 
  2. Secret Key/Manual Setup: #3 in screenshot above. If you choose this option you will need to type the 32-character alphanumeric code into your authenticator app and likely put in other information like the name of the website and your username

After you have added Canvas to your authenticator app, a 6-digit code will appear. You must enter that code in the verification code box and then click "Verify" (#4 in screenshot above). The code will change every few seconds.

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