Authy | The best 2FA tool

What is 2FA? 2FA is Two two-factor authentication and is used more and more to add an extra layer of protection when logging into certain websites or using certain services. Popular examples where you can use 2FA are Office 365 and Google Workspace (for Gmail, Google Drive etc).

As ever, let’s begin with some context…

In the past, I’ve played with both the Microsoft Authenticator app and Google Authenticator. Based on me getting a new phone, I found the best choice was the Google Authenticator app, as you can transfer your 2FA accounts from one device to the other – something I couldn’t figure out using the Microsoft Authenticator app. So off I went using the Google Authenticator.

I’m an idiot, and dropped my phone…

So I didn’t (I do now!) like using a case on my phone, I prefer them ‘naked’ as I just don’t like the extra bulk it puts on them. I was ambling back from the Post Office one day listening to Spotify and dropped my Pixel 4a… it was only a light drop but was enough to make the screen stop working (it wasn’t smashed, just not working anymore)…

Yes, I will look at repairing it, but I needed to get up and running quickly…

I purchased a replacement Samsung A22 5G phone, with it arriving the next day. I had soon installed all my usual apps and off I went until I opened Google Authenticator to find none of my previous setup accounts was in there.

I looked at how to transfer them/get them onto the new phone, but as my previous phone was non-working, there was no obvious or easy way to get them transferred. So there I was having quickly replaced my phone so I could access the key systems that I have 2FA on, but I was no nearer to accessing them…

Again for context, I was able to access the systems I use via re-setting up 2FA or using a backup code, but that isn’t really the important point here…

What could I do to stop locking myself out of 2FA systems in the future?

Rather than just go about manually setting everything up again in Google Authenticator, I took the attitude that I will end up breaking this phone (I have a reputation for this, hence I refuse to spend more than £250 on a phone) or leaving it in the pub.

I had to think and experiment with something else, to help me keep working when this happens again in the future.

I already knew about the shortcomings of the Microsoft Authenticator and Google Authenticator, and I was also aware of 2FA solution from Authy, as we use that internally at the office.

So, the question here is, if I used Authy, could I backup my 2FA accounts to another device, so that when something happens to my phone again, I’m not completely stuck? And, thankfully, using Authy the answer here is “Yes”!

I was able to set up Authy, so it backs up to my laptop. This means when the time arrives again when my phone isn’t accessible, I can turn to my laptop to access 2FA accounts. Having tested it out, it works seamlessly once it has been securely set up. Winner!

I also took the opportunity to set up access to my text messages on my laptop as well, although just to stress this only works if your phone is still on and functioning (my old one was, I knew this as I could still call it, but nothing would appear on the screen).

The conclusion here? Authy, in my humble opinion, is the best 2FA app out there, purely because of the backup feature within it.

Gavin Moorhouse is the chief mobile phone breaker at Lucid Computer Solutions, an IT Support and Cloud Solutions business based in Redditch, Worcestershire.