Google Updates Authenticator App Ahead of iOS 15's Upcoming Built-in Code Generator
Google has updated its 2FA Authenticator app for iOS with a new privacy feature that lets users require Face ID or Touch ID before displaying two-factor account authentication codes.

Previously, fingerprint or facial authentication was only required when exporting accounts. Now though, upon activating Google's Privacy Screen feature in v3.2.0 of the app, Face ID or Touch ID is needed in order to show newly generated codes.
The authentication requirement can be set to show immediately, after 10 seconds, 1 minute, or 10 minutes. In addition, Google has added a search bar to the top of the app interface to let users search for accounts.
Google Authenticator's previous update introduced a dark mode and the aforementioned account transfer feature. However, the latest improvements are likely to be seen by many Apple device users as verging on the redundant, following the news earlier this month that iOS 15 will include a built-in password authenticator.
When Apple releases iOS 15 in the fall, iPhone and iPad users will be able to natively generate 2FA verification codes for additional sign-in security, so there will be no need for a separate app.
Apple says that you'll be able to set up verification codes under Passwords in the Settings app. And once set up, the codes will autofill when you sign into a site, making the use of two-factor authentication a more streamlined experience than using a third-party method. This feature will be available on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey.
Popular Stories
All of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models feature a new battery health setting that prevents the devices from charging beyond 80% at all times when enabled, as confirmed by The Verge's Allison Johnson during a Q&A session today. The new setting is separate from the pre-existing Optimized Battery Charging feature on iPhones, which intelligently delays charging past 80% until a more...
In June, Apple announced iOS 17 with a wide range of new features and changes for the iPhone. Following over three months of beta testing, the free software update will be released this Monday, September 18 for the iPhone XS and newer. Below, we have recapped 10 key features coming to the iPhone with iOS 17, with additional features coming later this year. The update should be released to...
Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Juli CloverApple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
As Apple was announcing new iPhone models last week, the Unicode Consortium was officially approving new emoji characters that are set to be added to smartphones starting in 2024. Mockup of new emoji from Emojipedia Approved Unicode 15.1 emoji include phoenix, lime, an edible mushroom, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake), and broken...
Top Rated Comments
FRONT PAGE NEWS - GOOGLE UPDATES APP.
* Disable 2FA using the old app.
* Re-enable 2FA using the new app.
The generated codes are tied to your unique hardware, and each app will use a different algorithm.
If the codes were transferrable, that would make them far less secure. Someone could steal your "profile" and have working codes for all of your accounts on their device. But instead, your device is the only one that will generate the correct codes. That's why it's secure.