diff --git a/lib/components/secondary-device-qr-auth-context-provider.react.js b/lib/components/secondary-device-qr-auth-context-provider.react.js
--- a/lib/components/secondary-device-qr-auth-context-provider.react.js
+++ b/lib/components/secondary-device-qr-auth-context-provider.react.js
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
   +openSecondaryQRAuth: () => Promise<void>,
   +closeSecondaryQRAuth: () => void,
   +canGenerateQRs: boolean,
+  +qrAuthInProgress: boolean,
 };
 
 const SecondaryDeviceQRAuthContext: React.Context<?SecondaryDeviceQRAuthContextType> =
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@
     openSecondaryQRAuth: async () => {},
     closeSecondaryQRAuth: () => {},
     canGenerateQRs: true,
+    qrAuthInProgress: false,
   });
 
 function SecondaryDeviceQRAuthContextProvider(props: Props): React.Node {
@@ -76,7 +78,11 @@
 
   const [primaryDeviceID, setPrimaryDeviceID] = React.useState<?string>();
   const [qrData, setQRData] = React.useState<?QRData>();
-  const [qrAuthFinished, setQRAuthFinished] = React.useState(false);
+
+  const [qrAuthState, setQRAuthState] = React.useState<
+    'not_started' | 'started' | 'finished',
+  >('not_started');
+  const qrAuthFinished = qrAuthState === 'finished';
 
   const loggedIn = useSelector(isLoggedIn);
   const prevLoggedIn = React.useRef(loggedIn);
@@ -118,7 +124,7 @@
 
     setUnauthorizedDeviceID(ed25519);
     setQRData({ deviceID: ed25519, aesKey: aesKeyAsHexString });
-    setQRAuthFinished(false);
+    setQRAuthState('not_started');
   }, [generateAESKey, setUnauthorizedDeviceID]);
 
   const closeSecondaryQRAuth = React.useCallback(() => {
@@ -169,7 +175,7 @@
           errorMessage,
         );
       }
-      setQRAuthFinished(true);
+      setQRAuthState('finished');
       setQRData(null);
     })();
   }, [
@@ -260,6 +266,7 @@
         backupData,
       } = qrCodeAuthMessage;
       setPrimaryDeviceID(receivedPrimaryDeviceID);
+      setQRAuthState('started');
 
       try {
         await confirmMessageToTunnelbroker(message.messageID);
@@ -310,12 +317,14 @@
       openSecondaryQRAuth,
       closeSecondaryQRAuth,
       canGenerateQRs: !socketState.isAuthorized,
+      qrAuthInProgress: qrAuthState === 'started',
     }),
     [
       qrData,
       openSecondaryQRAuth,
       closeSecondaryQRAuth,
       socketState.isAuthorized,
+      qrAuthState,
     ],
   );