Approve a Device

Approve a Device

The first time a computer or server tries to use Remote Access, you approve it from your XHack account. This is the step that keeps someone else from attaching a device to your link.

How approval works

1. The device shows a pairing code.
   • In the desktop app, in the Approve this device window.
   • In the terminal, when you run xhack tunnel.
2. Sign in at xhack.io and go to Settings → Remote access.
3. Find the request from that device and click Approve.
4. Type the pairing code shown on the device and confirm.
5. A few seconds later the device switches to On and shows your link.

What the code proves

The website never shows the pairing code. You read it from your own device and type it in. That proves you are at that device, not just signed in to the account.

The approval window in the desktop app

While a computer is waiting for approval, a small Approve this device window appears. It works from anywhere in the app, even with Settings closed. It shows:

• the name of the computer;
• the pairing code;
• three short steps for approving it on xhack.io;
• Open xhack.io, which opens the website for you;
• Cancel remote access, to click if you did not turn Remote Access on yourself.

After you approve on the website, the window shows Approved. Connecting… and closes when your link is live. Only one approval window is shown at a time.

On a VPS, with the CLI

When you run xhack tunnel on a server with no screen, the pairing code is printed in the terminal:

Waiting for approval on xhack.io · code A1B2

Approve the server from a laptop or phone the same way as any other device. If you lose the code or the terminal scrolls away, show it again with:

xhack tunnel status

Rate limits

Too many wrong codes block that approval request. Turn Remote Access on again on the device to get a new code. The old one stops working.

If a request appears that you did not start

Click Deny on the request. Then:

• change your xhack.io password;
• turn on two-factor authentication if it is available;
• Revoke any approved device you no longer use (Manage your devices).

XHack staff will never ask for your pairing code or for your web console login.

Updates on the website

The Remote access page updates by itself, and you get a notification when a new device asks for access. Your dashboard also has a Remote link card with your link and its status.

Related

• Remote Access overview
• Manage your devices
• Security tips
• Troubleshooting