As Twitter developers scramble to implement new features, but a fairly important one seems to have stopped working for some users – two-factor authentication.
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has brought plenty of complications, with new features such as the infamous $8 a month verification and “official” accounts rolled out with reckless abandon.
Now, it looks as though certain legacy features aren’t working, as two-factor authentication begins causing issues for some users.
“Don’t log out of Twitter if you have 2FA,” said one Twitter user. “The microservice for it has been shut down. You won’t be able to log back in.”
Don’t log out of Twitter if you have 2FA. The microservice for it has been shut down. You won’t be able to log back in. https://t.co/T6AevAFPCp
— Toon Brains (@Cartoonbrains) November 14, 2022
The issue seems to come from the shutdown of a large number of Twitter’s microservices, which was intended to improve timeline performance.
Instead, it seems to have, well… broken a few things.
Notably, in the case of two-factor authentication, it seems that some users are experiencing long delays when Twitter texts out authentication codes, and in some cases, users aren’t receiving them at all.
To clear up confusion about two-factor authentication on Twitter –– it’s still live and a good way to protect your account. If you have it turned on, your chosen authentication method should be good to go.
We’re looking into the few cases where SMS codes aren’t being delivered.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 15, 2022
However, while some users reported that two-factor authentication was no longer working, Twitter support tells a slightly different story.
“To clear up confusion about two-factor authentication on Twitter — it’s still live and a good way to protect your account,” they explained. “If you have it turned on, your chosen authentication method should be good to go. We’re looking into the few cases where SMS codes aren’t being delivered.”
The social media platform has been in turmoil recently, following new owner Elon Musk’s drastic and sweeping measures to cut costs. These range from cutting the entire Twitter Gaming department, to getting rid of company-funded meals for employees.
Additionally, Musk has publicly floated new ideas for the platform which have often proven divisive, such as the paid verification and paywalled video.
Whether or not the platform’s 2FA issues are related to the shuttering of microservices remains to be seen, but many believe that the platform faces further troubles under Musk’s command. Only time will tell.
Want to read more about Twitter? Find out about Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover and the chaos that followed and find out why video game news account Nibel has left the platform.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
