Using 2-Factor Authentication with Read

This article is for the mobile version of Read.  For the web version please click here.

2-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication (2FA/MFA) is an authentication system often implemented by hospitals and universities to provide an extra layer of security. This procedure requires users to provide two pieces of evidence to validate their access, the first being their institutional credentials and the second being whichever 2FA/MFA option your institution provides. Because Read's Institutional Access feature authenticates users based on their institutional credentials, you will need to go through the 2FA/MFA step if your institution requires it. If you are looking for the Read Web version of this FAQ article, click here.

Below, we've provided an example of what a user would see using University of British Columbia's Institutional Access within the Read mobile app.

1. The 2FA/MFA will always come after the initial login. Essentially, you will login to your institution's library, which will prompt a pop-up to give you options on how you want to verify yourself which is the 2FA/MFA part.
2. Depending on your institution, you will be given different options on how to verify yourself through 2FA/MFA. Here, we can see that the University of British Columbia allows users to validate themselves by receiving a notification on their mobile device (Push), through a call, or a passcode that is sent to them. Please note: Some institutions may only have one option and may also provide different options that are not listed here, such as receiving a text message with a password or using a 2FA/MFA application which is downloaded separately.

It's possible that institutions that did not initially have 2FA/MFA will slowly convert their user base to this system. We've recently seen a higher number of institutions implement this step to their account login procedure. If this is the case, please notify us at [e-mail], so we can make the necessary changes.

If you forgot how to setup your Institutional Access, please check our FAQ guide on how to set it up!

We'd love to hear what you think about the application or if you have any ideas that could help improve the Read experience! Please feel free to share your thoughts through this quick survey!