Enable Dropbox’s authenticator method
- Sign in at dropbox.com, open your avatar, then Settings → Security.
- Turn on 2-factor authentication and confirm your password.
- Choose Use an authenticator app.
Add Dropbox to Sign In
You can use Sign In, our authenticator app for codes on your iPhone.
- With the setup QR code on another screen, open Sign In and tap Add → Scan QR Code.
- Scan the code, review the account details, and tap Add Account.
- On Dropbox, choose Next, enter the current six-digit code, then continue.
Dropbox offers a Secret key option for manual entry on the same iPhone. In Sign In, choose Add → Enter Setup Key, set Service to Dropbox and Account to your account name, paste the secret into Key, then tap Add Account. Keep this key private.
Finish with recovery codes
Add a backup phone if useful, or skip that optional step. Save the recovery codes securely outside your phone, acknowledge that you have stored them, then finish setup.
Dropbox supplies ten single-use recovery codes. You can view them from Security → Recovery codes → Show.
If you cannot generate a code
At sign-in, choose Having trouble getting a code?, then the emergency backup-code option. Use an unused saved code. A previously configured backup phone may also help.
For a team account, contact your administrator if recovery options fail.
Other verification options
Dropbox also supports SMS where available, security keys, and passkeys. Review the options in your security settings; availability differs across devices and regions.
If a code does not work
Make sure the Dropbox entry in Sign In matches the account you are using. Wait for a fresh code, then enter it before it changes. If fresh codes keep failing, check that your iPhone uses automatic date and time.
Keep a working sign-in session and your recovery information available while resolving the problem. Adding an entry to Sign In does not finish enrollment: the service must accept a code and confirm activation.