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This update to Google Authenticator allows sign-in from secondary device. Check details
To use the updated Authenticator, people must simply update the app and follow the prompts, said the tech giant.
Google has added an update to Google Authenticator, allowing users to backup one-time codes/passwords (OTPs) to their Google account.
“Across all of your online accounts, signing in is the front door to your personal information. It's also the primary entry point for risks, making it important to protect,” wrote Christiaan Brand, the tech giant's Group Product Manager, on its official blog, on Monday.
What is the update?
With this update, Google says it is making OTPs more ‘durable’ as people will now be able to save these on their Google account. This means that even if they lose the device on which they set up the 2-factor authentication (2FA), they will not lose the ability to sign-in using the 2FA; this is because users can now use the 2FA on a secondary device and sign-in for continued access to Google services.
Why was the update needed?
According to Brand, the action was taken on the basis of ‘one major piece of feedback’ heard from users over the years regarding the ‘complexity’ in dealing with lost or stolen devices that had Authenticator installed. Under Authenticator, which was released in 2010, people can store one-time codes only on a single device.
Losing such a device, therefore, means you lose the ability to sign-in with the codes.
How to use the update?
For this, simply update the app and follow the prompts.
