2FA is on while settings say 2FA is disabled

r_ttler

I just wanted to open my private Trello board (haven't accessed it for while).

Instead of just go, I've got to "no, it's private, but perhaps you should login".

Login brings me to atlassian log in (okay, trello is atlassian, suffer). Not worth noting that "remember me" checkbox was unchecked by default (so they meant that I need to go through this everytime). After entering login/password, they wanted some one-time code sent to email. I've waited for ~10 mins for that email. After it came, the system just didn't accept the code. I had to click "resend", wait again and only then the code where accepted. Wtf at all? I never enabled 2FA and I want flawless login instead of this.. Went to settings, it says that 2FA is disabled. Then if it is disabled, why it works? Why it requires two authorization factors one of which barely works?

And not worth noting that login procedure got me to atlassian dashboard, not to the board/url I wanted to enter.

 

PS. Going to 2FA settings were even more weird. There is no any mentions of email. Just physical key (for my simple trello board, really?) or authenticator app.

ashu patel_rub1iq

Hi @r_ttler,

Thanks for sharing your experience—what you’re describing does sound frustrating, especially when trying to quickly access a private Trello board.

What you’ve encountered is not actually full two-factor authentication (2FA) as set in your security settings, but rather Atlassian’s built-in security check mechanism, which occasionally prompts for email verification during login. This can happen for a few reasons, even when 2FA is shown as "disabled" in your settings:

Risk-based login detection: Atlassian may prompt for additional verification if it detects a login from a new device, IP address, or if you haven’t logged in for a long time.

Session expiration: If your session expired and you're accessing a private board, Trello redirects you to login for verification purposes.

Unlinked sessions: If you're logged out or using an incognito/private browser, you may be required to authenticate again before accessing specific board URLs.

The email verification code is a fallback method when traditional 2FA isn’t enabled, but Atlassian still needs to verify identity. That said, delays in receiving or accepting codes can sometimes happen due to email server lags or browser caching issues.

As for the redirect to the Atlassian dashboard instead of your Trello board—that’s a common complaint. It happens when the redirect chain breaks, especially if authentication isn't completed smoothly. A good workaround is to manually copy the board URL before logging in and revisit it once you're authenticated.

If you'd like to avoid these prompts more consistently:

Make sure to enable “Remember me” at login.

Use a trusted device/browser.

Consider enabling 2FA explicitly with an authenticator app (it often provides a smoother and faster login experience than waiting for email codes).

If this behavior continues or feels excessive, I’d recommend submitting feedback directly to Atlassian Support: https://trello.com/contact

Hope this clarifies what’s happening.

Best regards,
Ashu Patel
Atlassian Community Contributor