- Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a great way to secure online accounts.
- SMS-based two-factor authentications are weak and can be easily compromised by attackers.
- Google Authenticator is a popular, reliable, and secure authenticator app that works on iPhone, iPadOS, and Android.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an important security measure to secure online accounts. It is based on confirming what you “know” and what you “have”. The “have” portion of this is usually a verifiable token such as a physical object, a mobile authenticator app, or an authenticator keyfob. SMS-based two-factor authentications are weak and can be easily compromised by attackers. That is why it is important to shift to an app on your smartphone for two-factor authentication.
Google Authenticator is a very established and popular authenticator app for a few reasons. It is relatively straightforward to use, it is from a well-known name in the tech world, it has widespread support, and it supports multiple devices and cross-platforms. It is also possible to set up Google Authenticator on multiple devices and have codes across all of them work the same way.
Getting started with Google Authenticator is easy. Download the App Store to your device and sign into whatever service you want to enable 2FA for. When asked, select to use an authenticator app and enter the account name and key provided to you. Once you’re set up, you will be asked to use the authenticator app to generate a code to log into services whenever you log in.
To delete account listings from Google Authenticator for iOS, open the app, tap the three dots in the top right, tap Edit, tap the pencil icon next to the relevant account, tap the trashcan, and on the confirmation box, tap Remove account.
Are you taking full advantage of Google Authenticator? Did you know that you can set it up to get the same codes across multiple devices? Malcolm Owen, Product Comparison Expert based in South Wales, walks us through the process of how to use the export function to do this. Keep in mind that when removing an account from the Google Authenticator app, it doesn’t affect the status of 2FA on the account itself. Make sure to remove 2FA from the account before removing the Google Authenticator listing.
Get even more tech advice from Malcolm Owen, who has written about tech since 2012 for Electronista and MacNN. In his spare time, he pursues photography, has an interest in magic tricks, and is bothered by his cat, Poppy. Follow Malcolm Owen on the Web, Twitter, Mastodon, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Threads.
