#Where is my backup google authenticator codes for android#

Unfortunately, this feature is available only for Android phones so far. We are talking about a brand new “Transfer accounts” feature added to Google Authenticator recently. If you use Google Authenticator on Android smartphone, now there is an easier way to transfer it to a new phone. Use a built-in Google Authenticator feature Transfer Accounts Please, mind, if it really happens and someone steals your secret key, they will still need to know your user password, so make sure it’s not a simple combination to guess.Īndroid 1. Keep the screenshot very secure though, if someone in your vicinity finds it they can access your data. When you first set up your Google Authenticator simply make a screenshot of the barcode with the secret key. This is by far the easiest way to never lose access to your account. | Read also: Mobile Authentication Pros and Cons 2. Google Authenticator backup codes have their perks, but you have to be ready for the drawbacks as well.

You can lose the paper or destroy it by mistake.

You do not have them at hand at all times.

Other things that you might want to keep in mind when it comes to printed out backup codes: Granted, the intruder will have to be among your peers and know the user password, but you know… things happen. An intruder can easily copy them if they are in physical vicinity and use them to gain access to your account. But what do you do with the websites which do not support backup codes?Īnother point against Google Authenticator backup codes is – they are as secure as a password written down on a paper.

Some of these websites provide backup codes, and a user can gain access to these websites if his/her smartphone is lost. It is imperative to understand that Google Authenticator is a multi-token, thus you can enroll many tokens for various websites using one app.

#Where is my backup google authenticator codes software#

Operating principle is pretty much the same for all the software OTP tokens – they generate authentication codes for logging into your account right on your smartphone. – Newton Lee, Counterterrorism and Cybersecurity: Total Information Awarenessįrom all available options of one-time passwords generation or delivery (SMS, emails, hardware and software tokens) most people choose Google Authenticator or other similar applications like Authy, Protectimus Smart etc. “As the world is increasingly interconnected, everyone shares the responsibility of securing cyberspace.”

#Where is my backup google authenticator codes verification#

So why two-factor verification is still unpopular? Sure, it creates an extra step to take to log in, but most users omit it not because of this extra time and effort, but because they are afraid of losing access to their credentials if something goes wrong with their authentication devices. It also complicates man-in-the-middle and man-in-the-browser attacks. Thus, two-factor authentication protects from brute force, keyloggers, most cases of phishing and social engineering. If you use two-factor verification, an intruder would need to get both the unique password you came up with, and the gadget, which produces the verification codes, to break into your account. In the contemporary world, where database leaks are a standing affair, two-step authentication is not an option, it is, in fact, a must. Our regular readers know that we strongly recommend applying two-step verification wherever it’s possible.