Glossary

What is SMS authentication?

SMS OTP for teams—shared verification numbers, risks, and MultiMFA SMS.

Definition

SMS authentication delivers a one-time code via text message as a login factor. It remains common for banking, billing, and legacy portals despite NIST guidance preferring stronger factors for high assurance.

Team workflows

Shared operational accounts often register a founder's phone—creating bottlenecks. MultiMFA SMS and shared SMS verification product pages describe team numbers with recipients.

Examples

Shopify agency receiving store admin SMS OTP.
Finance team sharing billing portal texts at quarter close.

Team SMS verification

Stop using a personal SIM for company OTPs.

Try MultiMFA SMS Shared SMS product

How teams apply this in practice

Provision team number
MultiMFA SMS instead of personal SIM.
Name recipients
Finance and ops get delivery—not public chat.

MultiMFA

TOTP

MultiMFA TOTP

Shared TOTP enrollment with viewer governance.

Try TOTP

Web Authenticator

MultiMFA Authenticator

Individual web-based TOTP vaults for phone-free teams.

Explore Authenticator

SMS

MultiMFA SMS

Shared SMS verification for operational accounts.

Try SMS

Frequently asked questions

How does SMS authentication relate to shared team access?

Teams share SMS OTP when vendors text codes to one phone—route through a shared verification number with named recipients.

Can MultiMFA help operationalize this for teams?

Yes. MultiMFA TOTP and SMS provide governed second-factor delivery—recipients and viewers—without cloning seeds to many phones or forwarding texts in chat. Start with a 14-day trial on one shared login.

Is this the same as a password manager?

Password managers store credentials; some store OTP fields. MultiMFA focuses on second-factor delivery and visibility for accounts that must stay shared—complementary to vaults, not a full replacement.

Is SMS MFA less secure than TOTP?

SMS faces SIM-swap risks; many vendors still require it. Govern delivery rather than forwarding texts manually.

More questions? Contact support or read our security overview.

SMS authentication for operations

Named recipients on a dedicated number.

Start Free Trial Glossary: OTP