Skip to content
Sign-in and Security

2FA codes by SMS

The 2FA code by SMS goes only to a Ukrainian number (+380) verified in your profile. One code is valid for 12 hours, and after you change your number, SMS codes are paused for 48 hours.

7 min read

In this article

The 2FA code by SMS goes only to a Ukrainian number (+380) verified in your profile. One code is valid for 12 hours, and after you change your number, SMS codes are paused for 48 hours.

SMS codes are one of the two-factor authentication (2FA) methods: after your password or the sign-in code from your email, Bookly asks for a 4-digit 2FA code from an SMS. If your number isn’t Ukrainian, turn on an authenticator app instead.

How to turn it on

  1. Verify your number in your profile: My Profile → Phone number → “Verify by SMS”. Enter the 4-digit code from the SMS and click “Confirm”.
  2. Open Settings → Security → Two-factor authentication (2FA) (on a computer, with the “Add 2FA Method” button). If 2FA isn’t on yet, confirm your password first.
  3. Next to “Text message (SMS)”, click “Add” (on a phone, tap that row).
  4. On the “Set up SMS codes” screen, check the number under “Codes will be sent to” and click “Send code”.
  5. Enter the 4-digit code from the SMS and click “Verify”.

The SMS code: how long it lasts and how to get a new one

  • When you sign in, after your password or email code, you’ll see “Enter the code from the SMS”. Click “Send code by SMS” and you’ll get a “Bookly sign-in code…” text with the code and the time it’s valid until.
  • The code is valid for 12 hours: if you sign in again during that time, Bookly doesn’t send a new SMS but asks for the same code. When less than 15 minutes of it are left, a new one is sent.
  • Didn’t get it? Click “Didn’t get the SMS?”. The first resend arrives right away; after that, no more than once an hour. Each new SMS cancels the previous code.
  • The code you get when you turn SMS codes on or off in Security is valid for 5 minutes and works once. If it doesn’t arrive, click “Send a new code” after 60 seconds.

How to turn it off

Settings → Security → Two-factor authentication (2FA) → next to “Text message (SMS)”, click “Turn off”. In the “Turn off SMS codes” window, enter your password and a code: from the app, by SMS (“Send me a code by SMS”) or a backup code.

If something goes wrong

“We cannot send SMS to numbers in this country yet.”

In the settings it reads “SMS codes aren’t available for your phone number’s country yet. Use an authenticator app instead.” For now, we send SMS codes only to numbers in Ukraine (+380). With another number, turn on an authenticator app.

“Verify your phone number in your profile first.”

Codes are sent only to a number verified in your profile. Open My Profile → Phone number → “Verify by SMS” (or click “Verify phone in Profile” on the “Set up SMS codes” screen) and enter the 4-digit code. If you see “Could not confirm the number.” or “Wrong code. Check the SMS and try again.”, check the number and the code and try again: the code is valid for 5 minutes and allows 3 tries.

“Enter the number with its country code, starting with +.”

Enter the full number with the country code, for example: +380 XX 000 00 00.

“SMS codes are paused for 48 hours after a phone number change. Use another method.”

After a number change, no SMS codes are sent for 48 hours. Until then, sign in with your authenticator app or a backup code.

“SMS codes are not available for this account.”

At sign-in, a 2FA code can’t be sent by SMS right now: the number isn’t verified, 48 hours haven’t passed since it was changed, or we don’t send SMS codes to numbers in that country. Sign in with your authenticator app or a backup code. If you have neither, see Lost the phone with 2FA: how to sign in.

“While SMS is your second factor, change the number by confirming it with a code.”

While SMS codes are on, a new number in your profile has to be confirmed with a code. After the change, codes start arriving at the new number 48 hours later.

“Confirm this change with a two-step sign-in code.”

Bookly says this when you change the number in your profile while SMS codes are your second factor. To change the number:

  1. Turn off SMS codes: Settings → Security → Two-factor authentication (2FA) → “Turn off” next to “Text message (SMS)”.
  2. Change the number in My Profile and confirm it with the code from the SMS.
  3. Turn SMS codes back on with the steps under “How to turn it on”. Codes start arriving at the new number 48 hours after the change.

“The code has expired. Send a new one.”

An SMS code is valid for 12 hours. Send a new code and enter it.

“Too many wrong attempts — this code no longer works.”

Each code allows 5 mistakes; after that it stops working. Click “Send a new code”.

“SMS codes are temporarily turned off — sign in with an authenticator app or a recovery code.”

After 10 wrong SMS codes within a day, Bookly turns SMS codes off for 24 hours. The authenticator app and backup codes keep working. Your account email gets a message: someone entered wrong SMS codes, which means they know your password. If it wasn’t you, change your password right away.

“You can request another SMS at …”

During sign-in, the first resend arrives right away, and each one after that only an hour after the previous one; the message shows the time. The button works again once you reload the page after that time. Meanwhile, enter the code from your last SMS (it’s valid for 12 hours) or sign in with the app or a backup code.

“Too many codes requested. Please try again later.”

How many SMS you can ask for depends on where you ask for the code:

  • At sign-in — the first resend right away, then once an hour, and no more than 10 SMS a day.
  • In Security, when you turn SMS codes on or off — at least 60 seconds between messages, no more than 5 an hour and 10 a day. There it reads “Too many attempts. Please wait a little and try again.”, and next to it you see when you can ask for a new code.
  • The code for a new number, when you confirm it in your profile — at least 60 seconds between messages, no more than 3 an hour and 10 a day.

Wait and try again later, or sign in with the app or a backup code.

“We could not send the SMS right now. Please try again in a few minutes.”

The SMS didn’t go out. Try again in a few minutes, or sign in with the app or a backup code.

“We could not confirm the SMS was sent. If the code does not arrive within a minute, request a new one.”

The SMS may already be on its way. Wait a minute; if it doesn’t come, request a new code.

Nothing helped

Contact support. Write any time — we reply during working hours. Never send SMS codes to anyone, including support.

Still have a question? Write any time — we reply during working hours.

Email us How support works

Other articles in this section

  • Lost the phone with 2FA: how to sign in

    Sign in with a backup code: on the code screen, click “Use a recovery code”. As soon as you're in, connect the authenticator app on your new phone and create new backup codes.

    3 min read

  • Active sessions: where you are signed in and how to sign out elsewhere

    Every device you're signed in on is listed in Settings → Security: on a computer under Active Sessions, on a phone under Device Activity. You can end any session there, and on a computer you can sign out of all devices at once.

    3 min read

  • How to change your account email

    Go to Settings → Security → Change email, enter the new address and the 4-digit code we send to it. Your email changes only after you enter the code.

    3 min read

(4.9/5)

500+ businesses already run on Bookly

Fewer Lost Leads.

More

Loyal Clients.

Attract clients, take bookings, automate communication, and track results — no complicated setup.

Start your 14-day trial