Google Authenticator Receives Major Update with Cloud Synchronization Support
Yesterday, the popular Google Authenticator OTP manager has received a major update, according to the Google Security Blog. This update introduces cloud synchronization, which means users need not worry about losing access to their favourite services even when their own smartphone is lost.
Google has acknowledged the difficulty that users faced when they lost their phones where Google Authenticator was installed. This loss also meant that users lost access to any service on which they set up 2FA using Authenticator since the one-time codes were stored on only one device. However, this issue has been resolved with this update as Google has safely preserved these codes in users’ Google accounts, thus making them more reliable.
Google Authenticator was introduced in 2010 and has since undergone various updates, but the cloud synchronization feature is a significant and useful innovation that greatly increases the convenience of users. Notably, cloud synchronization is not mandatory, and it remains optional.
Also, Google has introduced new visual effects to the application and redesigned its icon with branded colours. The conventional grey safe design for the icon has been replaced with a multi-coloured star with a triangle at the centre.
This update will be rolled out gradually, and the new functionality might not be available on some devices initially. However, Google promises users that the innovation will appear on all supported smartphones with Android and iOS shortly.