Ditching the Big M: My Hunt for a Cooler 2FA App

· 175 words · 1 minute read

Let’s face it, two-factor authentication (2FA) is everywhere these days. Everyone wants that extra layer of security. As an Android user, I was using Microsoft Authenticator for, three+ years straight. It worked… fine. But then I hit a snag with my work VPN. Turns out, it uses 60-second timeout and MS Authenticator just wasn’t down with that.

So, the quest began for a cooler 2FA app. Enter 2FAS Authenticator. This open-source gem is the real deal. First of all, no account creation – major win in my book. Plus, it lets me do some cool things:

  • Backup My Accounts: I can backup the accounts my desired place
  • Customise Everything: Full control with just a private key. Can configure timer and algorithm
  • See the Private Keys: Need to set up 2FA on another device? Easy peasy, just grab the key. I can setup the only required one, even in terminal or in shell script.

Seriously, Microsoft Authenticator couldn’t even let me export my accounts. Talk about a pain. Thankfully, those days are over. Bye MS Authenticator!