Google Authenticator Now Supports Backing Up 2FA Codes Using Google Account

The Google Authenticator app used to store one-time access codes for account security now supports backups and syncing across devices using a Google Account, Google announced today.

google authenticator
With Google Account support, one-time passwords can be saved in the cloud, so if you lose the device with your Google Authenticator app installed, you won't lose access to all of your authentication codes. Prior to the integration of Google Account support, all codes in the Google Authenticator app were stored on device, which is problematic when a device is lost.

Google says with one-time passwords available in a Google Account, users are "better protected from lockout," increasing convenience and security. Google Account integration for Google Authenticator is available on both iOS and Android devices. Adding Google Account support will require signing into the account in the Google Authenticator app, and once that is done, codes will be automatically backed up and restored on any new device where you sign in to your Google Account.

The latest version of the app is required, and on iPhone and iPad, it can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Google

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

0924487 Avatar
22 months ago
Seems like a bad idea…

Google has your keys.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
22 months ago
Sorry, but I have mad trust issues with Google. :confused:
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sydnxt Avatar
22 months ago
Do you guys honestly think Google employees will be using your 2FA keys to login to your accounts?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazmac Avatar
22 months ago

Do you guys honestly think Google employees will be using your 2FA keys to login to your accounts?
No.

What does concern me is what other information they are able to skim off my device simply because I have their app installed (location, clip board contents, etc.) that adds to their already voluminous collection. Simple as that.



Example: WTF does Google need my contacts for in order for the authenticator app to work? Why are they collecting Search History? Location?!!?! F Google!

Attachment Image
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
julianps Avatar
22 months ago

I think the desirability of this new feature depends on how you use Google Authenticator. If you use GA 2FA codes for anything sensitive or confidential, such as banking (risk: losing control over a checking account or credit card) or mobile phone carrier accounts (risk: becoming the victim of a SIM swapping attack), it's probably better to copy the codes over to another device manually. That way you maintain complete control over critical information and avoid any exposure to the cloud.

But for logins that aren't for anything that needs to be kept private or secure, syncing via your Google account probably is OK in most circumstances.

In any case, I hope passkeys ('https://tidbits.com/2022/06/27/why-passkeys-will-be-simpler-and-more-secure-than-passwords/') become widely adopted soon. Then all the time and effort we spend dealing with passwords and 2FA can be used on something more fun or more productive.
I use the Authenticator feature in Apple's Keychain. It syncs between iOS/iPadOS and MacOS and I keep the verification codes in the Notes/Comments field. iOS backup acts as insurance. And (for now) I trust Apple more than Google (Authenticator) or Microsoft (Authenticator). I did consider BitWarden, but why bother when Keychain is ubiquitous?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
22 months ago
I wonder what the details of this picture are supposed to tell us: ?



Our starry 2FA keys are taking a partially discontinuous, convoluted path into a Google snowflake, and then fly away like birds, while clouds are passing by?

Attachment Image
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)