Google Authenticator update brings a major redesign and new features

mood · May 8, 2020

Google Authenticator update brings a major redesign and finally adds the ability to transfer accounts
May 7, 2020
https://www.xda-developers.com/goog...ajor-redesign-adds-ability-transfer-accounts/

While there are several apps on the Play Store that you can use to set up 2FA, Google Authenticator is inarguably one of the most used apps out of the lot. However, despite its popularity, Google hasn’t updated the app’s design in quite a while. Thankfully, that changes with the latest update for the Google Authenticator app.

According to a recent report from Android Police, Google is now rolling out version 5.10 of the Google Authenticator via the Play Store and the update brings a much-need visual makeover for the app. As you can see in the attached screenshots, the app has received a Material Design 2.0 refresh with a true-black dark theme in tow. The redesign also adapts the app to the aspect rations of newer devices, instead of displaying an unsightly black bar at the bottom.

Along with the redesign, the update also adds a highly-requested feature to the app which will make it easy for you to port your keys over to another device.
With the update, the app now has an embedded import/export tool in the overflow menu that you can use to easily transfer your account details to a different device.
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Google: Introducing portability of Google Authenticator 2SV codes across Android devices

mood · Oct 12, 2021

How to transfer your Google Authenticator 2FA to a new phone
It’s a little more complicated than just copying data
September 2, 2020 (Updated: October 12, 2021)
https://www.theverge.com/21410260/google-authenticator-2fa-how-to-phone-security-iphone-android

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is one of the best and easiest ways to keep your online accounts secure. It works by issuing an authentication code on your phone when somebody tries to access the account; if that person doesn’t have the code, they (or you) don’t get in. By using a 2FA app, such as Google Authenticator or Authy, you can prevent somebody from accessing your data by getting your password.

There is, of course, a catch. Because 2FA uses a key specific to your phone, if you lose or break your phone, you can’t simply reinstall the app on your new phone and go on from there. You need to transfer the key code for that phone as well as the app itself.
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Because 2FA uses security keys that are specific to each piece of hardware, you can’t simply reinstall Google Authenticator on your new phone and use it to log in. Instead, you have to transfer the keys to your new app.

The easiest method, especially if you use 2FA with several apps, is to use the Authenticator app’s dedicated transfer feature to move your keys from one phone to the other. However, there are two assumptions here: first, that you have access to both the old and new phone, and second, that you have Android devices. If either of these assumptions doesn’t work for your situation, there are other methods you can use, which we’ll cover next.
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Update October 12th, 2021, 11:20AM ET: This article was originally published on September 2nd, 2020; the directions for transferring between Android phones have been updated.
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Google Authenticator update brings a major redesign and new features

mood Updates Team

mood Updates Team