Looking for a Google Authenticator alternative? What to compare

Because two-factor codes are built on an open standard (TOTP), the codes from one app are identical to the codes from another. That's good news: switching authenticator apps is low-risk, and you're not locked in.

What differs is everything around the codes. Here's what's worth comparing — and how to move without locking yourself out.

What to compare

Backup and restore. The single biggest difference between apps. If your only copy is on one phone, a lost phone means re-enrolling every account. Look for an encrypted backup you control — ours uses your own iCloud, explained here.

Export. Can you take your accounts elsewhere later? If not, you've swapped one lock-in for another. We support export by QR code or CSV.

Devices. Phone only, or also iPad, Mac, and watch? If you sign in at a desk, sync across devices removes real friction.

A lock on the app. Your authenticator holds the second factor for everything — it should need Face ID, Touch ID, or a PIN of its own. App Lock.

What leaves your device. Prefer apps that need no account and keep secrets encrypted locally — what we can and can't see.

There's a fuller checklist in how to choose an authenticator app.

How to switch safely

The order matters. Don't delete anything until the new app is proven:

1. Export from your current app (most offer a transfer QR code or file).
2. Import into the new one — how to import.
3. Sign in to two or three accounts using the new codes to confirm they work.
4. Turn on backup in the new app before you go further.
5. Only then remove the accounts from the old app.

Both apps generate valid codes in the meantime — the shared secret is the same — so there's no window where you're locked out.

One thing to do regardless

Whichever app you land on, save each service's recovery codes somewhere separate from your phone. They're what saves you when no app is available — how to store them.