How to choose an authenticator app: 7 things that actually matter

Every authenticator app implements the same open standard (TOTP), so the codes themselves are identical. What differs is everything around the codes — and that's what decides whether you're locked out one day.

Here's what to actually compare.

1. Backup — the one that matters most

If your only copy of your accounts lives on one phone, losing that phone means re-enrolling everything. Look for an encrypted backup you control. Ours backs up to your own iCloud — how it works.

Be wary of apps with no backup at all, and understand where the backup lives and who can read it.

2. Can you get your data out?

An app that can't export is a trap. Check for export and import so you can leave whenever you want. We support import from another app and export by QR code or CSV.

3. Device coverage

Do you want codes on your iPad, Mac, or watch — or only your phone? If you sign in on a laptop all day, an app that syncs across your devices saves real friction.

4. A lock on the app itself

Your authenticator holds the second factor for every account. It should have its own lock — Face ID, Touch ID, or a PIN — so an unlocked phone isn't enough. See App Lock.

5. Does it work offline?

It should. Code generation needs no network at all — only a correct clock. Why that is.

6. What it does with your data

Prefer apps that keep secrets encrypted on the device, need no account, and show no ads. Ours never receives your accounts — what we can and can't see.

7. Whether it stays out of the way

You'll open this app several times a week for years. Search, sensible names, and one-tap copy matter more than they sound — keeping the list usable.

A quick way to decide

Ask one question: if my phone disappeared tonight, how would I get back in? If the app's answer is "you'd re-enrol all 40 accounts by hand", keep looking. If it's "restore your encrypted backup, and use recovery codes for anything older", that's the one.