The internet is a dangerous place with all sorts of shady people out to get your personal data. One of the best ways to keep your accounts secure is with 2-step verification (AKA 2-factor auth). Google has long supported that feature, but typing in those codes every time you log in can be annoying. Starting today, you can approve account logins from a prompt on your authorized mobile device.
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There are a few ways to enable 2-factor authentication. One common approach is to send a text message to your phone containing an authentication token. Another option is to have an app installed that will generate that string of numbers without making you wait.
There are a few apps out there that will do the job. Google Authenticator is one. Another is Authy, which was acquired by Twilio a year ago. The latest version of the latter adds support for six, seven, and eight digit authentication tokens. Not only that, it makes those digits significantly easier to read.
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Many of Google's apps are in extremely active development, some are even on weekly update schedules, but there are others that seem practically abandoned until they get that one random update every 6 months or so. With an average of about once per year (so far), Authenticator is easily one of the best examples of the latter group. Given the infrequency of new versions, it's a little disheartening to see that there are no discernable new features in the latest release; but it's actually worse than that, one was even taken away. But don't let this get you down, it looks like this little app may be due for some new tricks soon as it may be entering wireless territory.
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Protecting your online accounts is important, and 2-factor authentication is the best way to do that. The default method of getting 2-factor codes for most services is SMS, but authenticator apps can be more convenient. Google's own authenticator has been on the Play Store for years, but it's been very ugly until today. This app has finally gotten a material design makeover and a few new features too.
Twitch has been the largest live streaming video platform for quite some time, and now they decided to push out an update that helps users protect their accounts. Two-Factor Authentication is now available on all Twitch accounts.
Enabling this feature adds one more layer of security by requiring something that you have in your possession, with the first layer being something you know (e.g. your password). This thing you have is a code, which can be generated through a Two-Factor Authentication application, or sent to you via a text message. This generated code changes after a brief interval, usually 30 seconds. Due to the nature of Two-Factor Authentication, attackers are unable to access your account without being able to generate one of these secure codes. Twitch
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Mobile payments app Venmo has been around for years now, but without two-factor authentication, security hasn't been as good as it could be. Fortunately the company is now getting around to changing that. Today it announced that it has added two-factor authentication to its mobile apps (Android and iOS) as well as the web.
When you attempt to sign into Venmo from a new phone, the service will send you a 6-digit code that you will need in order to get inside.
Going forward, Venmo will automatically enable this feature for anyone who uses the latest version of the app.
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Managing 2-factor authentication is a pain, but such is the price we pay for security, right? Authy makes it much less annoying with secure backup, device sync, and offline mode for 2fa. It hasn't been the most attractive app, but the new version is looking much nicer and more material.
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Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of defense to your online accounts. Typically there are two ways to go about it: having a text sent to your phone containing a numerical key, or typing in one that appears inside of a dedicated app. Google Authenticator serves this function just fine, but you have to settle for something that hasn't been spruced up since the Ice Cream Sandwich days. Authy is an alternative offering that looks a bit easier on the eyes.
With the app's latest update, the company has made your various accounts significantly easier to access. Rather than having to slide out a menu from the left, each one appears inside a tile positioned across the bottom.
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