Why this is changing

Your Saylor account holds your course progress, your grades, and the record behind any certificate or credential you earn. A password on its own is one reused login or one convincing phishing email away from being in somebody else's hands. A second step adds protection that someone with your password still can't get past.

Signing in with Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook or LinkedIn doesn't count as the second step on its own, because we can't tell whether your personal account has its own protection turned on. So everyone sets up a second step in Saylor. You'll still use the same sign-in button you use today.

What you need to do

You'll get an email telling you when the second step becomes required on your site. Until then you can dismiss the prompt and keep studying. After that date, you'll need your second step to sign in. Setup takes about three minutes.

Step 1: Check your email address

Open your profile and make sure the email address on your account is one you can still reach. If you signed up years ago with a school or work address you no longer use, update it now. An out-of-date email address is the most common reason students get locked out.

Step 2: Choose a method

Click your picture, avatar or initials in the upper right corner of the window, then click Security settings. Pick one of these:

• Email code - We send a code to the email address on your account. It's the simplest option if the others don't suit you. It only works if you can still open that mailbox, so check Step 1 first.
• Passkey - Uses the fingerprint, face unlock or PIN you already use on your phone or laptop. Nothing to install and nothing to type, and it's the hardest option for a scammer to fake. It works on a laptop or desktop browser, so you don't need a smartphone.
• Authenticator app - Install an app such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator or Authy. Scan the QR code, then type the six-digit code back into Saylor. The app makes a fresh code every 30 seconds and works without a signal.

Step 3: Add a second method

We recommend setting up two, for example a passkey plus email codes. If you lose your phone, or lose access to your mailbox, you can still sign in with the other one and then fix the problem.

Trusting your device

At sign-in you'll see a “Trust this device” checkbox. If you tick it, Saylor won't ask for a code again on that browser for 90 days. Tick it only on a device that's yours. Don't tick it on a shared, library or work computer.

If you lose access

Use your other method. At the sign-in prompt, choose to try another way, such as an email code or an authenticator app. Then add a new method right away.

If nothing works, contact Student Support. Staff can verify who you are through your enrollment record and course activity, so you can get back in even if your email address no longer works. This takes longer than using your other method.

Please don't create a second account. Accounts can't be merged, so any progress you make in a new account will stay separate from your existing course history.

Common questions

Questions? Email contact@saylor.org. As a reminder, we will never ask you for your password or a sign-in code.