Yes it is optional. Go to your account settings page, go to account security and click ‘update’ there will be a checkbox that you can select (it is disabled by default), that states, and I quote:
Always require authenticator for login
Use the authenticator every time I log in to a game client or the Battle.net Desktop App, and disable the option to use SMS verification in place of authenticator verification.
This will mean that every single time you want to login to your account you will need to approve it via the authenticator, but it will disable SMS protection entirely as it will no longer be necessary.
Millions also buy a new smartphone every year. Some are not so privileged.
My phone is old and no longer supports OS upgrades. So, authenticator app requires a certain OS that I cannot get, so I cannot get that app.
I never had a problem finding regular groups. If it was such a problem, there is an add-in to filter LFG that could be used. No reason to lock ToS abiding players out of game features.
Can’t. Blizzard does not offer an option that would let me secure my account.
Glad there are other sane people and non-trolls in the forum.
I hear you and agree with most of what you’ve said.
You said it’s hard to find groups because of all the paid run ads. That’s like complaining about objects on the supermarket shelf that you’re not interested in. Since all of the products on the shelf are visible, it’s really just a matter of having to read more labels, hardly an inconvenience.
This solution doesn’t remove those paid run ads from the shelf. All it’s accomplished is removed the labels from half of all the ads. That will legitimately impact the formation of groups with the appropriate players. From preliminary information, the paid run ads are not even impacted.
Right? Like when you finally get into a M+15, somebody will say in chat, WTS boost. So now the problem is you just won’t know what a legit group is anymore unless someone authenticated and could add a description.
Which leads to one of my concerns. If boosters are just listing group without a title/description, then my listed groups will go unfilled because players won’t know if I’m a booster or legit.
Get a cheap second hand phone that can install the authenticator. Install the authenticator and set it up. Done.
You don’t need the best phone on the market to run the damn app. You can get a Samsung Galaxy S7 (which will run the authenticator) second hand from Ebay for around $20-30
I was told that will not work. I was told I needed a contract carrier. How is the app securing your account if just anybody can get a burner phone and link to an account?
If Blizzard expects this cheapest option to gain full access to the game we already paid for and have a continuous sub for, they should extend us 2 months credit on our sub so we can go buy this miracle phone of yours.
You do NOT need a mobile phone number to install an authenticator.
You do need a mobile phone number to set up SMS protection, but that is a feature that you can disable from the account settings screen. Something I literally already told you.
Dude, it’s a Samsung Galaxy S7, it’s not a miracle phone. At this point it’s a phone that’s 5 years old. I just know the authenticator will work on it because I used to own one and used the authenticator on it.
Yes, but now that that has been taken from there, supposedly, they will find another avenue. Still a game of whack-a-mole, but now you have legit players getting whacked on.
Yeah, and other people have literally said the opposite. The problem is, there isn’t a such thing as customer support at Blizzard. You just have to hope random forum trolls aren’t yanking your chain.
Yes, you do. Even with the raider addon, you don’t get to see everything about applicants. The whats your covenant app only works on half the applicants, it seems. Many groups and raids I’m in, we need to explain what bosses we plan to do, and what achievements we expect. The extra addons and auto-fill options help, but can never replace custom text and titles.
There have been multiple testimonials from real players with cell phone contracts that do not work with the authenticator. I seriously doubt anyone will invest in a less committed option in the hopes it will work. This is a bad policy and it needs to go.
There are other ways to achieve 2FA on our accounts. Forcing us to add them to our phone is an assault on both our privacy and security.
Ever think that the reason you didn’t need to enter your phone number is because you already had the app…Blizzard already knows your device and your phone number.