# Sign up and sign in

Source: https://ballistic.app/docs/getting-started/sign-up/

After this, you'll have a Ballistic account and your primary wallet, ready to launch or trade.

**Time needed:** 2 min

**You'll need:**

- A web browser. Ballistic runs in your browser, so there's nothing to install.
- An invite link, plus a Google account or a Solana wallet to create the account with.

## Step by step [#step-by-step]

### Create your account [#create-your-account]

Ballistic is invite-only. Open the invite link you were given (for example `ballistic.app/@<code>`) and create your account with one of these:

- **Google**: sign in with your Google account. There's no password to set.
- **Wallet**: Sign-In With Solana (SIWS), a standard where you prove you own a wallet by signing a message. No password, and nothing leaves your wallet.

Email and Telegram work for signing in to an account that already exists:

- **Email**: enter your address and your password (at least 8 characters), then the 6-digit code we email you. The code expires after 10 minutes.
- **Telegram**: the Ballistic bot sends you a one-time sign-in link in a Telegram chat. Open the link to finish signing in.

> **Note**
>
> A crypto wallet is optional if you sign up with Google. Ballistic generates your primary wallet for you the first time you open the Wallets page.

### Get your primary wallet [#get-your-primary-wallet]

Your account needs a wallet to launch or trade. Ballistic creates one for you.

1. Open the Wallets page from the sidebar.
2. Ballistic generates your primary wallet on the first visit. You don't create it by hand.
3. Note the address. Your primary wallet is your deployer: the wallet that creates your tokens on-chain.

### Add a backup sign-in method and 2FA [#add-a-backup-sign-in-method-and-2fa]

Link a second sign-in method so you're not locked out if you lose access to the first, then turn on two-factor authentication.

1. Open your account settings.
2. Link another method (email, Google, Telegram or wallet) to the same account.
3. Turn on 2FA (two-factor authentication). Ballistic uses an authenticator app with TOTP, a rotating 6-digit code.
4. Save your backup codes somewhere safe. They get you back in if you lose your authenticator device.

Ballistic won't let you remove your last remaining sign-in method, so you can't lock yourself out of your own account.

## Verify it worked [#verify-it-worked]

Open the Wallets page. You should see your primary wallet with its address and a zero balance, ready to fund.

## What can go wrong [#what-can-go-wrong]

| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-up says sign-ups are closed | You opened Ballistic without an invite link, or the code isn't accepted | Open the invite link you were given and sign up from there. |
| The email code never arrives | It landed in spam, or the address has a typo | Check your spam folder, then request a new code and confirm the address is correct. |
| The email code is rejected | It expired: codes last 10 minutes | Request a new code and enter it straight away. |
| The Telegram sign-in link says it expired | One-time links are short-lived | Go back to Ballistic and request a new link from the bot. |
| You lost your 2FA device | Your authenticator app is gone | Enter one of the backup codes you saved when you turned on 2FA. |
| Ballistic won't let you remove a sign-in method | It's your last remaining method | Link another method first, then remove the old one. |

## Related

- [Wallet Manager](https://ballistic.app/docs/wallets/wallet-manager/)
- [Keys and security](https://ballistic.app/docs/wallets/security/)