Google Authenticator now supports two-factor passcode sync
US tech giant Google has announced that the Google Authenticator app, which stores one-time passcodes to improve account security, now offers a backup and sync feature across devices using a user’s Google Account.
The Google Authenticator app for Android and iOS adds the ability to securely back up your one-time codes (also known as one-time passwords or OTPs) to your Google Account.
“We make signing in to Google and all the apps and services you love simple and secure with built-in authentication tools like Google Password Manager and Sign in with Google, and automatic protections like notifications when a new device uses your Google Account,” Google said in a blog post.
With Google Account support, one-time passwords can be stored in the cloud, so if you lose a device with the Google Authenticator app installed, you won’t lose access to all your authentication codes. Before the integration of Google account support, all the codes of the Google Authenticator application were stored on the device, which is problematic if the device is lost.
“One big feedback we’ve received from users over the years was the complexity of dealing with lost or stolen devices with Google Authenticator installed. Because one-time codes in Authenticator were only stored on one device, losing a device meant users lost the ability to sign in to any service where they had set up 2FA with Authenticator,” Google said.
With this update, Google is implementing a solution to this problem, making one-time codes more durable by storing them securely in users’ Google Accounts.
Google says that one-time passwords available with a Google Account will “better protect users from being locked out,” adding convenience and security. Google Account integration for Google Authenticator is available for both iOS and Android devices.
Adding Google Account support requires signing in to the account in the Google Authenticator app, and once that’s done, the codes are automatically backed up and restored on any new devices you sign in to your Google Account on.
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