Google Authenticator's new update to safely backup your OTPs

San Francisco: Google has announced that the Google Authenticator app has received a new update on both iOS and Android, which adds the ability to safely backup users' one-time codes (or one-time passwords or OTPs) to their Google Account.

Google Authenticator app stores one-time access codes for enhanced account security.

“We make signing into Google, and all the apps and services you love, simple and secure with built-in authentication tools like Google Password Manager and Sign in with Google, as well as automatic protections like alerts when your Google Account is being accessed from a new device," said the US-based tech giant in a blog post.

"With this update we're rolling out a solution to this problem, making one-time codes more durable by storing them safely in users' Google Account. This change means users are better protected from the lockout and that services can rely on users retaining access, increasing both convenience and security," it said in the blogpost on Monday.

With Google Account support, one-time passwords can be saved in the cloud. So, if you lose the device with your Google Authenticator app installed, you won’t lose access to all of your authentication codes.

Prior to the integration of Google Account support, all codes in the Google Authenticator app were stored on device, which is problematic when a device is lost.

In 2010, the tech giant released Google Authenticator as a free and easy way for sites to add "something you have" two-factor authentication (2FA) that bolsters user security when signing in.

Moreover, to enhance the security of online authentication, Google has been promoting a variety of options in addition to one-time codes from Authenticator.

"Google Password Manager securely saves your passwords and helps you sign in faster with Android and Chrome, while Sign in with Google allows users to sign in to a site or app using their Google Account," the company said.

To use the new sync feature, simply update the Authenticator app. If you use Google Authenticator while signing in to a Google Account, your codes will be automatically backed up and restored on any new device you use.

You can also manually transfer your codes to another device even if you don't have a Google Account by following the instructions on its support page.

With inputs from agencies