FIX: “Problem Verifying Your Identity” after Salesforce MFA/passkey changes
I wanted to share the solution to a frustrating Salesforce login problem in case it saves someone else a lot of troubleshooting.
I am the sole user/System Administrator of my Salesforce org. After the recent MFA/passkey changes, I began receiving this error when trying to log in:
“Problem Verifying Your Identity. To log in, you need both a higher access level and an identity verification method. Contact your administrator to gain login access.”
I already had Salesforce Authenticator and a registered passkey. The passkey worked on My Macbook laptop but I had inconsistent or failed logins on my iMac desktop. I tried different browsers, clearing cache, temporary verification codes, etc.
I eventually had a Google Meet with a Salesforce support technician. After I shared my screen, he spotted the problem almost immediately:
Lightning Login was still enabled on my user account.
The fix took about one minute:
Profile photo → Settings → My Personal Settings → Advanced User Details → scroll down to Lightning Login → Cancel
After canceling Lightning Login, I was immediately able to log into Salesforce normally using Google Chrome and my passkey.
For anyone encountering this specific error after the new phishing-resistant MFA/passkey rollout, I strongly recommend checking whether Lightning Login is still enabled before spending hours troubleshooting passkeys, browsers, MFA settings, or devices.
I hope this saves someone else the time it took me to find the solution.
@Wayne Sula - Thanks for sharing. I find it frustrating that after I have cancelled Lightning Login for the reasons you have above, I am then asked to enroll in Lightning Login! If Lightning Login is not secure enough for Admininstrators anymore and if I still have it I run into the situation above, then why are you showing it as an option when I log in? C'mon Salesforce, do better!
