This article walks faculty and staff through enrolling in Duo multi-factor authentication for the first time. New to Duo? Start with Overview - Duo MFA for Faculty & Staff. Enrollment takes about 3–5 minutes once the app is installed.
Step 1 — Install Duo Mobile (recommended)
- On your phone, open the Apple App Store (iOS 17 or later) or Google Play Store (Android 12 or later).
- Search for Duo Mobile and install it. The app is free.
- Skip this step if you'll use phone calls or text passcodes instead of the app.
- Already use Duo Mobile for another organization? Don't reinstall — FHDA enrollment adds an "FHDA" account to your existing app.
Step 2 — Enroll through MyPortal
- On your computer, sign in to myportal.fhda.edu with your CWID and MyPortal password. The Duo enrollment prompt appears automatically.
- At the First, add a devicescreen, choose your method:
- Duo Mobile — enter your mobile number, click Add phone number, and confirm.
- Phone number — a mobile or landline that receives calls or texts; check This is a landline phone if it is one.
- Touch ID — available on Touch ID-capable Macs only; if you choose it, add Duo Mobile or a phone number afterward as well.
- If you chose Duo Mobile, scan the QR code shown on your computer screen with the app: in Duo Mobile, tap Add (iPhone) or the + sign (Android), choose Use QR code, and aim the camera at the screen. Name the account and save.
- Approve the test authentication — the push on your phone, answering the call, or entering the texted passcode.
- Click Yes, this is my device to be remembered on that browser for 15 days.
- Duo may skip the QR step automatically if it can verify your phone another way — going straight from "Verify passcode" to "Added Duo Mobile" is normal.
- QR codes expire within a few minutes. If yours expires, click Back in the browser, reopen the QR step to refresh the code, and scan it right away.
Don't enroll Touch ID alone. Touch ID works only on the one device it was set up on — enroll Duo Mobile or a phone number as well, or you won't be able to log in from any other computer, including classroom and office machines.
Step 3 — Add a backup method
Always enroll at least two methods (for example, Duo Mobile plus a landline). To add one after enrollment:
- Sign in to MyPortal in a private/incognito window so the Duo prompt appears.
- At the prompt, click Other options, scroll down, and click Manage devices.
- Verify your identity, then click Add a device in the Device Management Portal.
No smartphone at all? A hardware security token can be arranged through the ETS Help Desk.
Keep the app updated
Duo Mobile must stay reasonably current — a Duo certificate change in early 2026 broke versions older than 4.85.0. To check your version, open Duo Mobile and tap the menu (three lines, top left); the version is listed at the bottom. Update from the App Store or Play Store when the button reads Update.
Common Questions
Is the app free?
Yes — Duo Mobile is completely free to download and use.
What can the app see on my phone?
Almost nothing. Duo Mobile cannot read your contacts, texts, photos, files, or location, and cannot see your other apps. It only knows the accounts you explicitly add, and only uses the camera (with your permission) to scan QR codes.
How often will I be prompted?
Once per browser per 15 days, if you click "Yes, trust browser" after approving.
Do I need Duo in the classroom?
Yes — anything behind Campus Single Sign-On (MyPortal, Canvas, district email) prompts for MFA, including on classroom computers. The 15-day trust applies there too. Employees are required to use MFA.
What if I am part-time faculty and it is between quarters?
Duo doesn't change your access to email, Canvas history, grades, or rosters — access policies are the same as before MFA.
Get help
Submit a ticket at helpdesk.fhda.edu or call the ETS Call Center at (408) 864-8324 (x8324 on campus). Leave a callback number — most issues resolve over the phone.