You can go to Google Play or the Apple App Store and find one that works for you. The great thing about an authenticator app is how easy it is to set up and get connected. Two-step verification helps keep you safer from the chances of identity theft and hackers getting into your online accounts. That keeps accounts more secure because the code changes so often it would be hard for a hacker to guess. You’ll only have a limited amount of time to enter the code for access or you won’t be able to log in to the account. The app will text the code to your mobile phone number.

That means it takes two different security measures to gain access to an account.įor instance, when you attempt to log in, you may need a password and the verification code that the authenticator app generates. Many companies require time-based authenticator apps for remote access to prevent hackers from stealing data.Īuthenticator apps, like Google Authenticator, may also get referred to as two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA). You can use the active code to log in to your email or other online accounts. These codes are usually generated by an algorithm - the Google Authenticator app uses the Time-Based One Time Password Algorithm, or TOTP, to generate its codes. The app generates a six- to eight-digit security key in a specific time window, usually 30 seconds. In this article What is an authenticator app?Īn authenticator app is an application that usually gets installed on a smartphone or mobile device.

Installing authenticator app