Can't Log In to Claude AI | Steps to Fix Email Authentication and SSO Issues

3 Things to Check First

Before diving into troubleshooting specific symptoms, check these three things in order. Following this sequence matters — skipping ahead to symptom-specific fixes will be wasted effort if the root cause is missed here.

1. Is Anthropic experiencing an outage? — Open the Anthropic status page (status.anthropic.com) and check whether the claude.ai and api.anthropic.com sections are green. If you see Major Outage or Partial Outage, the problem is not on your end — wait for the service to recover.
2. Is your browser in a broken state? — Anthropic's official "Troubleshoot Claude error messages" help article recommends three steps for general login errors: "turn off your VPN," "disable browser extensions," and "clear your browser cache and cookies." Try opening a private/incognito window — if that works, the issue is almost certainly your extensions or cookies.
3. Are you logging in to claude.ai or console.anthropic.com? — As explained below, these two services have entirely separate account systems and login methods. Mixing them up leads to a situation where "the right password doesn't work." Always check the URL first.

Once you've gone through these three points, proceed to the symptom-specific fixes below.

Not Receiving the Authentication Email (Magic Link)

Claude.ai uses a default flow where entering your email address sends you a login link and code. When you're not receiving it, there are specific steps to follow.

1. Check your spam, promotions, and trash folders. In Gmail, the fastest approach is to search "All Mail" for from:anthropic.com.
2. Whitelist @mail.anthropic.com. The official Help Center instructs users who aren't receiving login emails to "add @mail.anthropic.com to your whitelist before trying again." If you're using a corporate or government email address, your internal IT team may be blocking it — contact your IT department, as this is something you may not be able to fix on your own.
3. Wait a few minutes before requesting a resend. Delivery can be delayed by a few minutes, so avoid clicking "resend" multiple times in quick succession.
4. Click the link on the same device you made the request from — this will log you in automatically. If you open the link on a different device, a verification code will be displayed instead of a direct login. Paste that code into the input field on the original device. Many users get stuck because they opened the link on a different PC and nothing happened — now you know why.

If the email still doesn't arrive, try a different browser or network (switch from home Wi-Fi to mobile data) to rule out email delivery delays.

Can't Log In with the Verification Code

You received the link, but entering the code fails — this is almost always a typo or an expired session.

1. Double-check the code for uppercase/lowercase mismatches, full-width vs. half-width characters, and leading/trailing spaces. Copy-paste often includes a trailing newline.
2. Verification codes have an expiration time. A code more than 15 minutes old will almost always fail. Request a new link.
3. Make sure you're not entering the code in a different browser than the one you used to request it. Magic links work based on the originating browser session. If you're entering the code in a new tab, use the same browser and the same profile.
4. If you keep seeing Invalid code, clear your browser cookies and start a fresh session.

Can't Log In with Google SSO or Apple ID

Claude.ai supports social login via Google account and Apple ID. There are three main causes when this fails.

1. Multiple accounts are linked to the same email address. If you first registered with your email address and then try Google SSO, Anthropic treats them as separate accounts, and it can feel like your data has disappeared. Log in using the same method you originally registered with.
2. Google SSO is blocked by your company's managed account. Corporate tenants sometimes only allow certain external OAuth providers. When you click the Anthropic sign-in button, you get stuck on an admin consent screen. Try signing in with a personal Google account to isolate the issue.
3. You're confusing the regular Google login with the organization SSO path. Organizations with custom SSO (SAML/OIDC) set up, as described below, need to sign in via a dedicated URL provided by their organization administrator — not through the top page of claude.ai. The official "SSO login" help article explains this process.

Can't Access Your Organization Account via Claude Team / Enterprise SSO

Organizations that use Claude Team or Enterprise sign in through their company's IdP (Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, etc.) rather than via the Google button or email link. Common reasons for being unable to access an organization account include:

1. You have both personal Claude.ai and your organization's Claude open in the same browser. The sessions interfere with each other. Open the organization URL in a private/incognito window or a separate browser profile.
2. Your administrator hasn't completed provisioning. Even with SSO configured, you won't be able to log in until per-user invitations or JIT provisioning are complete. Check with your Workspace administrator.
3. Your account has been deactivated via SCIM sync. If someone is offboarded or changes departments and the IdP sends a deactivation signal, Claude immediately blocks login. Ask your administrator to reactivate your account.

For detailed steps, refer to the official "Set up single sign-on (SSO)" and "SSO login" documentation.

Can't Log In on the App but the Web Version Works

If you can log in without issues on the web but the iOS, Android, or desktop app fails, the problem is isolated to the app.

1. Check if an app update is available in the store. Older builds can fail authentication after API specification changes.
2. Clear the app's cache (on Android: Settings → Apps → Claude → Storage → Clear Cache).
3. If that doesn't help, reinstall the app. This is most effective when the token storage has been corrupted.
4. If you were using Apple ID SSO on iOS, go to Settings → Apple ID → Sign-In & Security → "Sign in with Apple," remove Claude, and reconnect from within the app.

Are You Confusing the Console (console.anthropic.com) Login with Claude.ai?

A surprisingly common mistake is confusing the login for Claude.ai (the conversational UI) with the Anthropic Console (the API key management dashboard). These are separate account systems, as noted in the Console's "Logging in to your Console account" help article.

• claude.ai is for conversation; console.anthropic.com is for API access, billing, and organization management.
• The Console requires membership in an organization (Workspace) — you can't access it without an invitation.
• The login method may differ between the Console and Claude.ai (one may use email, the other SSO). When you can't log in, the first thing to check is the URL bar to confirm which screen you're actually on.

Last Resort When Nothing Else Works

If you've worked through all the steps above and still can't get in, the issue is likely specific to your individual account.

1. Try signing out of all sessions. Someone else's session left on a shared device may be causing problems. You can sign out of all devices from Settings → Account (see official "How do I log out of all active sessions?").
2. Contact support via the Help Center chat. The chat icon in the bottom right of the Claude Help Center (support.claude.com) allows you to submit inquiries in English. When contacting support, have the following ready for a faster first response: a screenshot of the error message, your browser and OS, the time the issue occurred, and your registered email address.
3. Consider the possibility that your account has been suspended. If your account was suspended for a Terms of Service violation or flagged for suspicious activity, you'll need to go through identity verification and submit a restoration request to support.

Summary

Login failures with Claude AI almost always fall into one of these categories: (1) an Anthropic-side outage, (2) browser environment issues, (3) email authentication flow problems, (4) SSO flow issues, (5) app-specific problems, or (6) confusion with the Console. Working through these systematically will resolve most issues within minutes. If the steps in this article don't solve your problem, gather information about your specific symptoms and reach out to official support.

Sources

• Log in to your Claude account — Claude Help Center
• Troubleshoot Claude error messages — Claude Help Center
• SSO login — Claude Help Center
• Set up single sign-on (SSO) — Claude Help Center
• Logging in to your Console account — Claude Help Center
• How do I log out of all active sessions? — Claude Help Center
• Anthropic Status