QuickBooks Online (QBO) Login problems

QuickBooks Online is one of the basic QuickBooks products available for customers to carry out their day-to-day accounting tasks. As the name suggests, it is online and cloud-based software that allows organizations to manage all their finances over the internet. However, the efficiency of the program can be ensured only when you can log in to the system, and the issue of being unable to log in has long been a concerning aspect of QuickBooks Online.

Multiple factors can be held responsible for the same, ranging from issues in the computer, to your copy of the program or even your internet connection. Regardless of the actual reason, you need to be prepared to know how to resolve any issue – this can keep you ready for when you face such login issues yourself. Keep reading to know more about the issue, its causes, and the various steps to resolve it.

QuickBooks (QBO) Online Login Issue

Being able to log in to a system is one of the first requirements when accessing any program. And in the case of QuickBooks, this is an especially crucial problem since all members need to log in successfully to be able to use the services. As a result, users that face this issue need to be aware of the different causes of the issue. Even organizations that have not faced the issue yet need to know it as well – this can enable them to stay prepared for when they do face the issue in the future.

In this regard, the causes of the issue can be due to a problem with your computer used to access the online program, an issue with the program itself, or some issues regarding when you used the program last. So, let’s get down to evaluating these causes so we can isolate the root cause of the issue properly.

Cause For QuickBooks (QBO) Login Issue

Login issues in QuickBooks online may be due to issues in how you have used the program previously or issues with the computer on which you are using it. Here are the three most common reasons for you facing a login issue when using QuickBooks Online.

Unsuccessful Sign-out Attempt in the last QuickBooks Online session

Properly logging out of one session is crucial in the case of QuickBooks, especially since the program contains sensitive information related to your banking and accounts. In this case, if you do not sign off of your session properly, then QuickBooks views it as a potential breach of data, and thus, issues regarding login pop up when you try logging in the next time. Following the latest security enhancements introduced to all QuickBooks products, you may frequently see such issues if you fail to log off properly.

Multiple sign-ins with same credentials:

Further, as per the latest security enhancements introduced to QuickBooks Online, you cannot log in to the program with the same credentials but with two different devices at the same time. Since this appears as an instance of trying to hack your account, the login attempt is promptly blocked by the program. In this regard, if you are sure that you logged out of the program properly the last time and are still unable to log in, then it may be worth checking whether someone else is trying to log in with your credentials.

Firewall or antivirus blocking the login attempt:

Your firewall or antivirus program is automatically designed to block entry to suspicious sites, and accidentally, QuickBooks may have gotten included as one such website. In this regard, if you are facing issues while logging in, one reason may be due to such restrictions set up in your firewall or antivirus. In such cases, QuickBooks recommends you change your firewall and antivirus configurations manually to ensure that you can log in to the program without any issues and successfully carry out all your tasks.

Basic steps to resolve the QuickBooks (QBO) login issue

Depending on the cause of the error, there are different solutions you can implement to help you access the program successfully. However, if you are not yet aware of the root cause and are just looking for some basic solutions to help eliminate the error, these steps can come in handy. While these steps do not pertain to a specific cause, they can eliminate any other causes that are contributing to the error or may lead to more errors in the future. Thus, as a starting step, implementing these basic solutions can be effective in making your QuickBooks Online run smoothly.

For initial troubleshooting, follow these below steps:

• Step 1: Try logging in from a different browser. While Google Chrome is the browser that Intuit recommends when using QuickBooks Online, you can try logging in from other browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Internet Explorer. If this is not successful, then you may move on to the next step.
• Step 2: Using Google Chrome, try using the ‘Incognito’ mode to log in to your user account. The incognito mode is a private browsing window that is separate from your main Google Chrome window. And so, if you are facing issues with your main Chrome account, then using the incognito mode may let you access your account. However, this is only a temporary solution and you need to ensure that you permanently resolve the issue to continue using QuickBooks Online.
• Step 3: Clear all your browsing history, cookies, and cached data from your Chrome browser, and then try opening QuickBooks again. For this purpose, go to Settings in your Chrome tab, and then click on the ‘Privacy and security’ option on the right. If this does not work, then move on to the next step.
• Step 4: The issue may be with the Google account used to log in to Chrome. So, change the account used to log in. Rather than logging out of the one signed in at the moment, you can create a new persona with another account to create an entirely separate browsing session. If this does not work, then move on to the next step.
• Step 5: Shut down your computer as well as your Wi-Fi router and modem; wait at least 30 seconds for it to reset and then turn it back on till you see all lights stable and operating as normal. Then power on your computer and try logging in again. If this solution does not work as well, then move on to the next step.
• Step 6: Lastly, simply try to shut your computer down and then power it on again. If this is unsuccessful as well, then you may move on to the advanced steps.

Advance steps to resolve the QuickBooks (QBO) login issue

While the basic steps were very basic and unspecific solutions, these advanced steps target a specific area of the program to ensure that you can resolve the root cause of the issue. In this regard, you can try and follow the following two steps:

Step 1: Check and reset the SSL settings of Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers:

• For Firefox:
  • Open the browser and then go to the ‘Tools’ option in the menu.
  • Click on ‘Options’ and then go to the option of ‘Privacy & Security to find the security certificates at the bottom of the page.
  • Here, make sure that both SSL 3.0 and TLS 1.0 are checked and apply the settings.
  • Then turn off the browser and then launch again to open QuickBooks Online to see if it is working properly.

• For Internet Explorer:
  • Go to the ‘Run’ option by pressing on Windows + R and then type “inetcpl.cpl”. Then click on OK.
  • Go to the ‘Advanced’ tab and then go down to the ‘Security’ feature.’
  • Ensure that both SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 are turned on (checked) and click on OK.
  • Then open Internet Explorer to check whether you can access QuickBooks Online now.

Step 2: Modify the additional privacy settings

• For Chrome:
  • Make sure that the privacy settings are set at medium or low privacy since the high setting leads to a lot of links getting blocked and becoming inaccessible.
  • Manually provide all access to the QuickBooks Online website (https://qbo.intuit.com/).
  • Allow all cookies from the website.
  • Close the window, launch it again, and then try logging in to the site again.

• For Internet Explorer:
  • Go to the ‘Run’ option by pressing on Windows + R and then type “inetcpl.cpl”. Then click on OK.
  • Go to the ‘Advanced’ tab and then go down to the ‘Security’ feature.
  • If the ‘Do not save encrypted pages’ feature is checked, then uncheck it and apply the changes.

Also, read “How to Resolve QuickBooks Error PS107“

Conclusion

Logging into QuickBooks is one of the basic requirements associated with using the system, and if you cannot log in, then it can be difficult for you to maintain efficiency through using the system. In this regard, if you are facing this error, then the solutions provided here can be effective in enabling you to use the program as normal. While more in-depth troubleshooting may be required to pinpoint the root cause, the solutions here can act as the first line of defence, enabling you to at least log in so you can take any further steps.