How To Add Google Authenticator To Authy

Authy vs. Google Authenticator

Authy News

With every breach, every hack, every lost or stolen telephone, online users have a similar thought: "I hope my private data didn't just leak into the vast and very night internet."

There's a adept reason to fright: once your personal information is out there, it's out at that place for good. That's why online security is a trending topic these days. Usernames and passwords — no affair how clever they might be — aren't protecting your accounts and devices anymore. And two-cistron hallmark, despite it being as simple to employ as iTunes — is still far from beingness widely adopted.

In short, people are boring to change, and when people do change their minds nearly 2FA, they typically first come across Google Authenticator for protection, because Google permeates and so much of the cyberspace, anyway.

And it usually starts with a phone switch:

That'southward when friends endeavour to help:

Which oftentimes doesn't assist at all:

This requires a little clarification:

And the response:

And then the reveal:

Followed past resistance:

Our support squad confirms:

Resulting in this wonderful 'a-ha' moment:

It's true. Google Authenticator, like Authy, generates a time-dependent six-digit lawmaking, which you enter after you submit your username and countersign. It'south not bad at providing necessary second-factor protection, for sure. And users are pretty satisfied, that is until a lost phone or a desire to switch devices forces them to make a modify.

From our (plainly biased) perspective, at that place'south a lot to exist desired when it comes to Google Authenticator. Let's break it down:

Google Authenticator lacks multi-device support.

With Authy's multiple-device functionality , your 2FA tokens automatically sync to any new device you qualify. And, if a device is lost, stolen, or retired, you tin can deauthorize it from any authorized device just as quickly.
Since Authy is available for Android, and iOS mobile devices, and for Windows, Apple Watch, and even your desktop, you tin utilise Authy to stay protected from all devices simultaneously. Google Authenticator users are tied to a unmarried device, so if you desire to annals a new phone or tablet, Google Authenticator automatically unregisters your current device.
Some experience that having tokens on multiple devices is risky. And then, if y'all fall into that camp, please notation that Authy has made this feature optional and you tin disable it at any time. Set up to link multiple devices? Start hither .

Google Authenticator is but bachelor on mobile devices.

Some people are more mobile than others, just if yous spend any time at all with a desktop figurer, you'll be happy to detect that Authy's 2FA protection is also available as a browser extension. This proves peculiarly user-friendly considering desktops users — peculiarly people who don't have a smartphone or tablet — are no longer required to re-create a security code delivered to their phone over to their laptop or desktop calculator . Authy brings the entire 2FA security experience directly to the user regardless of device.
While Google Authenticator is available for Android, BlackBerry, and iOS, at that place'south no desktop app. When connecting from a laptop or desktop to a service for which Google Authenticator is providing 2FA protection, you must have a mobile device on mitt to generate your access codes.

Google Authenticator has no encrypted recovery backups.

Out of the gate, Authy lets you lot take advantage of encrypted backups in the cloud . How is this handy? Lose a phone, and you tin yet admission Authy accounts from other devices (every bit long as you have not disabled the multi-device feature). Get a new phone, and you tin install the Authy app, verify your identity, and access all your Authy tokens relatively painlessly when compared to Google's solution.
Google Authenticator falls short when information technology comes to cloud sync options. With Google, if you lose your phone yous lose your admission. Go a new phone and prepare to manually transfer your accounts, all of them, one at a fourth dimension. This scenario alone seems to be the biggest reason people switch from GA to Authy.
And similarly to our multi-device feature, Authy'southward cloud backups are entirely optional: there if you lot want it, merely non mandatory. Read how our tokens are backed upwards and encrypted .

Google Authenticator has express password protection.

What makes Authy more secure than Google Authenticator is that our app keeps your tokens safety with three dissimilar types of passwords: Fill-in passwords, Master passwords, and PIN protection. Learn how each keeps your tokens secure .

Despite Google Authenticator's recent make-over, our UI wins hands-down.

Again, we're biased, but Authy merely looks improve. And it has a corking UI on all platforms and is like shooting fish in a barrel to use on iPhone, Android, desktop, even Apple Spotter. And there are 3 different authentication types bachelor:
- OTP(Ane-Time Passcode) delivers SMS or Voice Call 2FA protection. While information technology's not as strong as our other Authy authentication formats, information technology however provides better protection than a username and password lonely. And it has the broadest global accomplish. We like to retrieve of it as a best-selection fall-back rather than remaining unprotected.
- Soft token TOTP (Fourth dimension-based 1-time Passwords) can generate 2FA codes even when your phone is not connected to a jail cell or data network, like when you're on a airplane or vacationing on some remote island.
- Push Hallmark is the about secure, and most user-friendly manner to deliver 2FA. It's a button notification triggered solution for a streamlined user feel with advanced protection. Google Authenticator has no push notification capability.

Many who switch from Google Authenticator to Authy never look dorsum.

So, now yous're armed and fix for the next time someone says both apps exercise pretty much the aforementioned affair.

They don't. And now yous know.

About the author Authy

Authy is simple & secure two-factor authentication, available as a free mobile or desktop app, from Twilio. To go yours, click on the download button at the top of the page.