{"slug": "authy", "name": "Authy", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "", "recommenders": 1, "commenters": 7, "warners": 4, "score": -2.304, "rising": 1.0, "first": "2026-06-28", "latest": "2026-10-05", "why": "I use authy authenticator which I have on multiple devices.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 2, "compare": 0, "warn": 4}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0], "listed": false, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "I use authy authenticator which I have on multiple devices.", "icon": false, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Authy"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 795964176, "item_id": 49747761, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49747761", "by": "karim79", "date": "2026-09-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use authy authenticator which I have on multiple devices.", "excerpt": "I'm not saying it's the best option or anything but I use authy authenticator which I have on multiple devices. I got burned by Google authenticator in the past and had to jump through hoops to regain access to my accounts (non Google ones). It was painful. I learned the hard way I suppose.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA codes", "switched_from": "Google Authenticator", "story": "Ask HN: How to recover Google auth after phone stolen?"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 799465857, "item_id": 49966616, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49966616", "by": "mattwad", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I recommend you get off Authy - they don't have a browser extension or a desktop client, and surprise they don't have a way to export your codes either.", "excerpt": "I recommend you get off Authy - they don't have a browser extension or a desktop client, and surprise they don't have a way to export your codes either. I had to send them a GDPR data request, and then Claude decrypted the csv file they sent. I now use Ente and it's so nice having 2fa inside a browser extension. I can also export the secrets at will.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA codes", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pixel 11 doesn't yet meet the GrapheneOS security standards and may be skipped"}, {"id": 796045937, "item_id": 49752871, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49752871", "by": "croon", "date": "2026-09-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I stopped using Authy when they were bought by Twilio and stopped supporting their desktop client", "excerpt": "I stopped using Authy when they were bought by Twilio and stopped supporting their desktop client (thus eliminating my alternate device backups). I can highly recommend Ente Auth though.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA authenticator", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: How to recover Google auth after phone stolen?"}, {"id": 795894737, "item_id": 49743421, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49743421", "by": "pards", "date": "2026-09-17", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Authy used to do this, then they enshittified their app and bricked the desktop version.", "excerpt": "Going forward, consider using an authenticator that securely syncs across multiple devices to remove the single point of failure risk. I use Proton Authenticator now [0] Authy used to do this, then they enshittified their app and bricked the desktop version. [0]: https://proton.me/authenticator", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA codes", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: How to recover Google auth after phone stolen?"}, {"id": 779343872, "item_id": 48708992, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48708992", "by": "tough", "date": "2026-06-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Authy is also EOL since it was acquired by twilio and tossed into the do not recycle bin it seems...", "excerpt": "Authy is also EOL since it was acquired by twilio and tossed into the do not recycle bin it seems... But yeah, things can get messy depending on the specifics, but not installing random apps on your personal phone seems like a pretty reasonable line to make. I only mentioned Authy cause it was my go-to for 2fa before they got acquired", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA", "switched_from": "", "story": "Michigan bill would bar employers from requiring after-hours coms with workers"}]}], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["2fa codes", "2fa authenticator", "desktop mfa codes", "two-factor authentication", "2fa"], "compared": [{"slug": "ente", "name": "Ente", "co": 1, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}, {"slug": "google-authenticator", "name": "Google Authenticator", "co": 1, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "ente-auth", "name": "Ente Auth", "co": 1, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49742976", "title": "Ask HN: How to recover Google auth after phone stolen?", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49964303", "title": "Pixel 11 doesn't yet meet the GrapheneOS security standards and may be skipped", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49472216", "title": "The Twelve-Factor App (2025)", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49477600", "title": "\u201cIt works better in the app\u201d", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48707769", "title": "Michigan bill would bar employers from requiring after-hours coms with workers", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {"warn": 1}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {"neutral": 2}, "2026-09": {"warn": 2, "recommend": 1}, "2026-10": {"warn": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 799465857, "item_id": 49966616, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49966616", "by": "mattwad", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I recommend you get off Authy - they don't have a browser extension or a desktop client, and surprise they don't have a way to export your codes either.", "excerpt": "I recommend you get off Authy - they don't have a browser extension or a desktop client, and surprise they don't have a way to export your codes either. I had to send them a GDPR data request, and then Claude decrypted the csv file they sent. I now use Ente and it's so nice having 2fa inside a browser extension. I can also export the secrets at will.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA codes", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pixel 11 doesn't yet meet the GrapheneOS security standards and may be skipped"}, {"id": 796045937, "item_id": 49752871, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49752871", "by": "croon", "date": "2026-09-18", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I stopped using Authy when they were bought by Twilio and stopped supporting their desktop client", "excerpt": "I stopped using Authy when they were bought by Twilio and stopped supporting their desktop client (thus eliminating my alternate device backups). I can highly recommend Ente Auth though.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA authenticator", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: How to recover Google auth after phone stolen?"}, {"id": 795964176, "item_id": 49747761, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49747761", "by": "karim79", "date": "2026-09-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use authy authenticator which I have on multiple devices.", "excerpt": "I'm not saying it's the best option or anything but I use authy authenticator which I have on multiple devices. I got burned by Google authenticator in the past and had to jump through hoops to regain access to my accounts (non Google ones). It was painful. I learned the hard way I suppose.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA codes", "switched_from": "Google Authenticator", "story": "Ask HN: How to recover Google auth after phone stolen?"}, {"id": 795894737, "item_id": 49743421, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49743421", "by": "pards", "date": "2026-09-17", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Authy used to do this, then they enshittified their app and bricked the desktop version.", "excerpt": "Going forward, consider using an authenticator that securely syncs across multiple devices to remove the single point of failure risk. I use Proton Authenticator now [0] Authy used to do this, then they enshittified their app and bricked the desktop version. [0]: https://proton.me/authenticator", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA codes", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: How to recover Google auth after phone stolen?"}, {"id": 791775600, "item_id": 49485975, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49485975", "by": "JoBrad", "date": "2026-08-29", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I used to solve this with the Authy desktop app, now discontinued.", "excerpt": "I used to solve this with the Authy desktop app, now discontinued. I firmly believe MFA shouldn\u2019t live in your password manager (what\u2019s the point of MFA, then?). Thoughts on MFA options?", "context": "", "use_case": "desktop MFA codes", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Twelve-Factor App (2025)"}, {"id": 791656737, "item_id": 49478546, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49478546", "by": "noir_lord", "date": "2026-08-28", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "the only native apps I use on my phone are Kindle, Authy and Firefox", "excerpt": "Indeed, I've no interest in native apps to do something that can be done in a web app and if you don't let me do it in a web app I'll bounce and either find someone who can or do without unless there is a seriously compelling use case (I'm not that dogmatic). As a result the only native apps I use on my phone are Kindle, Authy and Firefox because I trust Firefox to prevent apps doing a lot of the sketchy shit locally", "context": "", "use_case": "two-factor authentication", "switched_from": "", "story": "\u201cIt works better in the app\u201d"}, {"id": 779343872, "item_id": 48708992, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48708992", "by": "tough", "date": "2026-06-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Authy is also EOL since it was acquired by twilio and tossed into the do not recycle bin it seems...", "excerpt": "Authy is also EOL since it was acquired by twilio and tossed into the do not recycle bin it seems... But yeah, things can get messy depending on the specifics, but not installing random apps on your personal phone seems like a pretty reasonable line to make. I only mentioned Authy cause it was my go-to for 2fa before they got acquired", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA", "switched_from": "", "story": "Michigan bill would bar employers from requiring after-hours coms with workers"}]}