# Unable to authenticate **URL:** \ **Category:** Bear Web\ **Created:** [January 29, 2025, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784 "2025-01-29T22:17:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrendanThompson](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/brendanthompson/32/4364_2.png) [@BrendanThompson](https://community.bear.app/u/BrendanThompson)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/1 "2025-01-29T22:17:36Z")
**Operation system** : Sequoia 15.3 **Web Browser** : Safari 18.3 * * * ## Bug report **What were you doing** : Authenticating on the initial single-use link **What feature did you use** : Authentication **What happened** : I received an authentication error, two screenshots provided below. ![CleanShot 2025-01-30 at 09.13.45](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/bear/original/2X/0/0b1c80917af5a4f131f55f1156823712e6afd26e.png) ![CleanShot 2025-01-30 at 09.13.57](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/bear/original/2X/3/3d345376c8eb2c5aa81be21c14b397202354bc11.png) **What did you expect to happen** : to be able to login and see my notes ---
**Author:** ![BrendanThompson](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/brendanthompson/32/4364_2.png) [@BrendanThompson](https://community.bear.app/u/BrendanThompson)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 10:26pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/2 "2025-01-29T22:26:27Z")
It is worth mentioning that I have Advanced Data Protection enabled on my account. As well as MFA with a hardware token. I believe this combination of security settings requires some additional work on your end to ensure the MFA prompt is shown. I could be wrong here. I also installed Arc and tried there. It received the same authentication error. ---
**Author:** ![matteo](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/matteo/32/21_2.png) [@matteo](https://community.bear.app/u/matteo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 8:50am UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/3 "2025-01-30T08:50:18Z")
Thanks for the report! We haven’t tested that specific combination yet, so we’re not sure what’s happening. We’ll look into it ASAP and keep you posted. ---
**Author:** ![Geiir](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/geiir/32/5935_2.png) [@Geiir](https://community.bear.app/u/Geiir)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:59pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/4 "2025-01-31T16:59:58Z")
I have the same problem. Removed Advanced data protection and now I am just stuck getting back to the login screen after authenticating 😕 ---
**Author:** ![bru](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/bru/32/179_2.png) [@bru](https://community.bear.app/u/bru)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/5 "2025-01-31T17:25:56Z")
Hey thanks for the report. We haven’t been able to replicate this behaviour just yet. Can I ask you which browser / os are you on? Also, do you use any extension that may be interfering with web traffic (e.g. ad filters). Meanwhile, we’ll keep investigating. ---
**Author:** ![Geiir](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/geiir/32/5935_2.png) [@Geiir](https://community.bear.app/u/Geiir)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 2:49pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/6 "2025-02-01T14:49:26Z")
OS: Windows 11 Browser: Brave I was stuck and got the authentication error when I had advanced data protection on. After turning it off it didn’t fail to authenticate. Now I was just sent in a loop to the login prompt. I turned off Brave shield and Proton VPN and was able to get in successfully. I’ll troubleshoot to see if it was the VPN, Brave Shield or a combination. I’ll reply once done. ---
**Author:** ![bru](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/bru/32/179_2.png) [@bru](https://community.bear.app/u/bru)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/7 "2025-02-01T17:19:20Z")
Thanks for the update. That’s very useful! ---
**Author:** ![BrendanThompson](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/brendanthompson/32/4364_2.png) [@BrendanThompson](https://community.bear.app/u/BrendanThompson)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2025, 11:07pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/8 "2025-02-02T23:07:06Z")
For me there is nothing that could be interfering. I tried in both Arc and Safari. With Arc I freshly installed it specifically to test the auth flow. It seems as though there are reports of similar behaviour on other CloudKit based apps when ADP is enabled. ---
**Author:** ![BrendanThompson](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/brendanthompson/32/4364_2.png) [@BrendanThompson](https://community.bear.app/u/BrendanThompson)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 12:01am UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/9 "2025-02-05T00:01:35Z")
@Matteo / @bru just some additional information for you. I am getting the attached error in the console when trying to authenticate. The first token is missing but the second is present. ![CleanShot 2025-02-05 at 10.59.33](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/bear/optimized/2X/f/f79cba09e4eb084a40991c4bb1f4e26ac3575ec8_2_690x30.png) ---
**Author:** ![bru](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/bru/32/179_2.png) [@bru](https://community.bear.app/u/bru)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 9:54am UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/10 "2025-02-05T09:54:25Z")
Hi Brendan! Thanks for sharing the info. The Error 421 is actually expected: it’s part of the negotiation with iCloud (we get back the url for the sign in popup). I assume that’s the only error you see in the console? ---
**Author:** ![BrendanThompson](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/brendanthompson/32/4364_2.png) [@BrendanThompson](https://community.bear.app/u/BrendanThompson)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 10:21pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/11 "2025-02-05T22:21:54Z")
That is correct, the only error I see unfortunately. I tried running it through a proxy with MITM, however iCloud cracked the sads haha! ---
**Author:** ![BrendanThompson](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/brendanthompson/32/4364_2.png) [@BrendanThompson](https://community.bear.app/u/BrendanThompson)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2025, 1:23am UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/12 "2025-06-16T01:23:37Z")
@bru just wondering if there has been any further progress with identifying how Bear can work with ADP ( + hardware MFA) enabled? ---
**Author:** ![bru](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/bru/32/179_2.png) [@bru](https://community.bear.app/u/bru)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 1:24pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/unable-to-authenticate/14784/13 "2025-06-25T13:24:24Z")
@BrendanThompson sadly no updates yet on the ADP+MFA side. The issue is still very much on our radar, and we’ll make sure to publish updates of any breakthrough on the matter.