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.

google authenticator app
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

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
General Apple Invites Feature

Apple Launches New 'Invites' App

Tuesday February 4, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple today announced the launch of a new app called "Invites," which is designed to allow users to plan events like birthday parties, graduations, vacations, baby showers, and more. "With Apple Invites, an event comes to life from the moment the invitation is created, and users can share lasting memories even after they get together," said Brent Chiu-Watson, Apple's senior director of...
App Store vs EU Feature 2

Apple Says It Doesn't Approve of EU Porn App

Monday February 3, 2025 1:15 pm PST by
Apple does not approve of the "Hot Tub" pornography app that was released for the iPhone in the EU using alternative app distribution, Apple said in a statement to MacRumors. Further, Apple is concerned about the potential user safety risks with a pornography app, and says that it undermines consumer trust in the Apple ecosystem. We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore...
maxresdefault

An Apple TV Refresh is Coming in 2025 - Here's What You Should Know

Wednesday February 5, 2025 10:17 am PST by
Apple hasn't refreshed the Apple TV since 2022, but rumors suggest that we're finally going to get an update in 2025. We don't have a full picture of what to expect yet, but we have some hints on what's coming. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Updated A-Series Chip The current Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic chip that was in the iPhone 13 lineup, and it's time for...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Raises Monthly AppleCare+ Subscription Price for All iPhones

Tuesday February 4, 2025 9:35 am PST by
Apple this week increased the prices for its monthly AppleCare+ subscription prices for the iPhone, raising the cost by 50 cents for all models in the United States. Standard AppleCare+ for the iPhone 16 models is now priced at $10.49 per month, for example, up from the prior $9.99 per month price. The 50 cent price increase applies to all available AppleCare+ plans for Apple's current...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
iCloud General Feature Redux

'Apple Invites' Leaked on iCloud Website

Tuesday February 4, 2025 7:11 am PST by
Update: The new Apple Invites app has officially been announced. The main iCloud.com page has seemingly confirmed Apple's rumored invites tool, which has yet to be officially announced by the company. The page says "Apple Invites" will be an iCloud+ feature:Upgrade to iCloud+ to get more storage, plan events with Apple Invites, and have peace of mind with privacy features like iCloud...
disney

Disney+ Loses 700,000 Subscribers Following Price Increase

Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:34 pm PST by
Disney+ lost 700,000 subscribers worldwide in recent months, according to Disney's earnings results for the first quarter of 2025. Disney said it now has 124.6 million Disney+ subscribers, a decrease of 0.7 million compared to its subscriber numbers in the fourth quarter of 2024. The drop in subscribers comes after Disney+ prices increased in the fall. Disney+ with Ads went from $7.99 to...

Top Rated Comments

Marshall73 Avatar
47 months ago
Why wouldn’t Google update their app? Seems a bit of a clickbait title.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
psuchari Avatar
47 months ago

There's no way. You need to:

* 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.
Not really. It’s just the seed key and time based. If you saved the QR code when you set up the account, you can readd it
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cupcakes2000 Avatar
47 months ago
What a weird headline. Just because Apple introduce something everyone should stop updating similar software? Talk about trying to create a story out of nothing. Clickbait or what. Say it for what it is:
FRONT PAGE NEWS - GOOGLE UPDATES APP.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jgbr Avatar
47 months ago
because some of us want a fully independent 2FA app, that we can do a lot more with, in an application not buried or inherently tied to one browser or system.?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
47 months ago

I wonder how easy it'll be to migrate from, say, Authy to the native 2FA app.
There's no way. You need to:

* 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.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cube4ever Avatar
47 months ago
I wonder how easy it'll be to migrate from, say, Authy to the native 2FA app.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)