Two Factor Apps

Hat tip to Kat for cluing me into this!

Two Factor Authentication is a wonderful thing between two places. Between ten it’s a hassle.

I got a new phone and was going through the process of re-entering all my codes on the official Google Authenticator which, once you install it and add a couple codes, looks pretty basic and utilitarian. It lists all your codes and what site they’re for.

My issue with the app is pretty basic. First of all, it’s Google’s and I’m not a huge fan. Second, the app hasn’t been updated in a year and it shows. Third, I have to pull my phone out when I want to log in (which is the point, I know). Fourth, I got a new phone and had to manually move everything over.

The last two items are actually the biggest hassle.

Enter Authy. It hits all four points. It’s not Google, it’s updated to look right on an iPhone 6, it has a desktop app that syncs with your phone, and it’s got backups.

My fear right away was “Where is my backup?” and this is all they say:

For your convenience Authy can store an encrypted copy of your Authenticator accounts in the cloud. The account is encrypted/decrypted inside your phone, so neither Authy or anyone affiliated with Authy have access to your accounts.

I’m not super happy that I don’t know what cloud it’s in, or whose (Amazon probably), and I dislike that unlike 1Password I can’t pick where I put the backups. What if I want to sync to Dropbox? Or iCloud? That would be a great improvement. That said, they’re upfront about their backups and how they work and, unlike Google, appear to have people who are willing to talk to you about things.

But.

The only issue I see with Authy’s layout is that if I have more than 12 items, it’s a little weird to scroll around the tiny boxes.

Now if only Twitter and Paypal would have real 2FA and not ‘SMS’ which doesn’t help me at all outside my home country.

Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

I’m Mika (aka Ipstenu) and I’m complicated. I’ve been on the net since the days of dedicated terminals and Novation CAT modems and solved Missionaries and Cannibals (or Goats and Cabbages) before I was six, and blog about WordPress and technical/computer things at Half Elf on Tech.

See Full Bio