Google Authenticator is finally adding a long-standing customer request to have account syncing for two-factor codes.
This means if you are setting up a new phone and log in to your account, Authenticator will be ready to go without requiring its own setup process. Or, if you lose your phone or it gets stolen, getting back into your accounts from another device will be an easier and less nerve-racking process. Google continually heard a major piece of feedback from users about the complexity in dealing with lost or stolen devices with Authenticator installed; since one time codes were only stored on a single device, the loss of that device meant users also lost their ability to sign in to any service they’d set up two factor authentication using Authenticator.
With the new update, Google is making one time codes more durable by storing them safely in users’ Google account, meaning users will be better protected from lockout and services can rely on users retaining access to increase both convenience and security. To enable cloud syncing for two-factor codes, you will need to be sure you have the latest version of the Authenticator app, which has also updated to a new logo. To read more about the change, visit here and to read more about the feature itself, visit Google’s support page here. Once you are set up, if you sign into your Google Account within Google Authenticator, your codes will automatically be backed up and restored on any new device you use.
