Your Smile VPS account and security

Your Smile VPS account is the one you sign in to at vps.smilehosting.tech. It’s separate from your Smile Hosting account. Everything on this page is under Account in the menu at the top, once you’re signed in.

Signing in

On the sign-in page, enter any one of these with your password:

• your email address
• your username, if you’ve set one
• the name your account was first created with - shown as Original sign-in name on the Account page. This always works and can’t be changed.

Set a username

1. Under Username, click Set username (or Change username).
2. Type the name you want: 3 to 32 characters, using letters, numbers, dots, dashes and underscores.
3. Enter your current password and click Save username.

To remove it, click Change username, then Remove username.

Add or change your email

For your safety, changing your email needs a code from both your current email and your new one. That way, even someone who got into your account couldn’t quietly move it to their own address.

1. Under Email, click Change email (or Add email if you don’t have one yet).
2. Enter your new address and your current password, then click Send verification codes.
3. Check both inboxes. Enter the code sent to your current email and the code sent to your new one.
4. Click Change email.

The codes work for 15 minutes. Your old address gets an email confirming the change.

Tipp

No code? Check your spam or junk folder, and make sure you typed the new address correctly. You can cancel and start again.

Change your website password

On the Account page, click Change password. You’ll need your current password. This is the password for the Smile VPS website - it isn’t your server’s own password.

2-step verification

With 2-step verification on, signing in with your password also needs a 6-digit code from an authenticator app on your phone, such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy or 1Password. Someone who learns your password still can’t get in.

Turn it on

1. Under 2-step verification, click Turn on 2-step verification and enter your password.
2. Scan the QR code with your authenticator app. Can’t scan it? Type in the key shown next to it instead.
3. Enter the 6-digit code your app shows and click Turn on.
4. Save your backup codes. You get 10, and each one lets you sign in once if you haven’t got your phone. Copy them or download them, keep them somewhere safe, then click I’ve saved them.

Signing in with it

After your password, you’ll be asked for a code. Enter the one your app is showing now. No phone to hand? Click Use a backup code.

New backup codes, or turning it off

• New backup codes replaces all your old ones.
• Turn off removes 2-step verification from your account.

Both ask for your password and a current code.

Warnung

Lost your phone and your backup codes? Email [email protected] from the email on your account and we’ll check it’s you before helping you back in. We’ll never ask for your password.

Passkeys

A passkey lets you sign in with your fingerprint, face, device PIN or a security key instead of typing a password. Passkeys can’t be guessed or phished, and they skip the 2-step code.

Add a passkey

1. Under Passkeys, click Add a passkey.
2. Give it a name you’ll recognise, like “My laptop”, enter your password and click Continue.
3. Click Create passkey, then follow what your browser or phone asks you to do.

You can add up to 10 - for example one on your phone and one on your computer. Rename or remove them on the Account page at any time.

Sign in with a passkey

On the sign-in page, click Sign in with a passkey. Many browsers also offer your passkey as soon as you click in the email box.

Security emails

We email you whenever your username, email, 2-step verification or passkeys change, and whenever a backup code is used. If you get one of these and it wasn’t you, change your password straight away and email [email protected].

Smile Business

If your organisation uses Smile Business, you can sign in with Continue with Smile Business, link this account on your Smile Business account page, and share a VPS with your organisation’s groups.