In this article, we will be taking a look at the best 2FA apps you can use on your Android and iOS device but, let’s talk about 2FA itself.
2FA which stands for “2 Factor Authentication” is basically just another layer of security for accounts of all sorts. An average account requires just your username/email/ID and a password to log in which you can call 1 Factor Authentication in this context.
Putting 2FA in the mix means each account holder doesn’t require just the password to log in, you also need a 2nd means of authentication before you can log in to your account.
This particularly means of securing one’s account have recently been growing in popularity and this is because people’s password is most times easier to guess.
Most people use passwords like password, 12345, 54321, their birth date or some other easy to guess password. Even the ones who don’t use the easy to guess passwords can still have their account hacked and this is why 2FA exist. With 2FA, asides from needing your username and password to log in to your account, you’ll be required to provide a second means of authentication apart from your password.
To make this extremely safe, you don’t get to decide what the 2FA code is. It is automatically generated whenever you want to log in and sent to you via various means. It can be through SMS, a 2FA app or Security Key. With 2FA in place, even someone with your username and password will still not be able to log in to your account as the person will be unable to receive the 2FA which will be sent to only you.
Like I said earlier, there are three ways for you to receive the 6-digit 2FA code but in this article, we will be focusing on the 2FA apps and the best ones there are. Without further ado, let’s get right down to it.
5 Best 2FA Apps for Android and iOS
1. Google Authenticator
Google Authenticator is the most popular and perhaps the best 2FA app there is out there for both the iOS and Android platform. The app comes with the material UI as you would expect from Google services and is pretty lightweight.
However, for an app that aims to boost the security of your various accounts, it doesn’t have enough security itself. No fingerprint, PIN or faceID lock on the app which is bad but since you’ll most likely be the only person with access to your smartphone, I guess it shouldn’t matter.
2. Authy 2-Factor Authentication
Authy is another good 2FA app for your Android and iOS device. The app is identical to the Google Authenticator but with more features. It has the same simplistic UI however it comes with App lock which is something the first app lacks and also has cloud backups.
This means that your data is stored in an encrypted server which makes it easier to use this app across devices and even when you change your device. It can also be used on browsers and works on Mac and windows as well.
3. LassPass Authenticator
LassPass is also another pretty popular apps and has made a name for itself by helping using create unique Passwords for each of the accounts they have. They also help them to store these passwords in their encrypted server and everything is done automatically.
You don’t even have to memorize anything, LassPass does all that for you. With this app, they also help you add another layer of security to all your accounts. Just like Authy, LassPass supports app lock and also has a clean UI.
4. Microsoft Authenticator
Just like Google, Microsoft also has their 2FA app which also gets the job done. The UI is clean and it has more features then the Google Authenticator that’s for sure. Unlike the Google Authenticator, the Microsoft Authenticator doesn’t require you to have a Microsoft account for you to be able to the app.
You can use with or without a Microsoft account. It also has app lock which keeps everything safe but unfortunately, you can only backup your codes only on iOS for now. Hopefully Android gets the same treatment soon.
5. 2FA Authenticator (2FAS)
2FA Authenticator is a pretty simple 2FA app as it has just the basics. This means that it will provide a second layer of security to your accounts but that is it. There are no features like cloud backup or app lock. However, it does get the job done and has a pretty clean and minimalistic user interface. Definitely worth checking out.
