10 best two-factor authenticator apps for Android
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2FA authenticator
Price: For free
2FA Authenticator is an excellent choice for six-digit TOTP authentication. It’s a simple app with a simple user interface, and it works pretty well. You can also add your secret key manually or via QR code if you want. This does not have many functions, but it does the job it promises adequately and without problems. Of course, its simplicity prevents things like customization to a certain extent, but it works fine nonetheless.
Aegis authenticator
Price: For free
Aegis isn’t the most popular 2-factor authenticator app, but it’s actually pretty good. It overlaps a lot with andOTP, but adds a few features above. For example, you can lock the app and only enter it after using a PIN, password or unlocking it with your fingerprint. That extra layer of security is actually quite nice. The app supports both HOTP and TOTP methods and should support most websites on the internet. Finally, you can back up your account and export it to a new device if you get one, and import from Authy and OTP as well. The app is also open source. You can check the code here if you want to see it.
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
andOTP is one of the newer two-factor authentication apps on the list. It’s completely free and open source. The app also supports the TOTP protocol. It’s not the most complicated app and that’s probably why people like it so far. It only requires a few permissions and the Play Store description will tell you all about them. Some other features of andOTP include multiple backup options, dark mode, and compatibility with Google Authenticator. Those in the know can take a look at the open source code here.
Authy from Twilio
Price: For free
Authy by Twilio is one of the most reliable apps for two-factor authentication. It works similarly to the variants from Google and Microsoft. You will receive codes from it and use them to authenticate your login. It works pretty well. The app also offers offline support, device synchronization, and supports the most popular websites and account types. This is a good way to go if you don’t want to use the Google or Microsoft apps. It’s also completely free with no ads or in-app purchases. Authy is good for what it does.
FreeOTP Authenticator
Price: For free
FreeOTP Authenticator is a free, open source authentication app. It works with most of the popular accounts including Facebook, Google, and many others. You also get support for productivity sites like GitHub. It also provides support for businesses as long as they support TOTP and HOTP. That makes it a relatively cheap solution for small businesses. It’s not the most popular option for authentication apps, but it works exceptionally well. We haven’t had any real complaints, and neither have most of the Google Play reviewers.
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Google authenticator
Price: For free
Google Authenticator is arguably the most popular two-factor authentication app. Google recommends it for all of your Google accounts. However, it works for a variety of other websites as well. Some of the other features include Wear OS support, a dark theme, and offline support. This is the one that I personally use all the time. There’s no specific reason for this as all of the apps on this list work just as well. It just happened to be the first one I set up. In any case, it’s completely free, it’s clean, it works, and it’s widely supported. The only pain point is the set up process and it’s not even that bad.
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
Microsoft authenticator
Price: For free
Microsoft Authenticator is Google Authenticator’s biggest competitor. It’s popular, it works well, and it works for things other than Microsoft apps. Otherwise, it’s actually a pretty simple app, not dissimilar to Google Authenticator. You sign in to a site or app, it asks for a code, and you open that app to get one. We usually recommend Google Authenticator for people who use Google services heavily. The same goes for Microsoft. Those who use Microsoft frequently will likely be more comfortable with this one than most of the other apps on the list. It’s also free with no ads or in-app purchases.
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
TOTP authenticator
Price: Free / $ 5.99
TOTP Authenticator is a super simple and effective TOTP authenticator app. This one works like most of the others in the room, so there isn’t much else there. However, this one adds a dark theme, widgets, fingerprint scanner support, and cross-platform support with iOS and Google Chrome browsers (via an extension). There’s also cloud syncing so you can see every change you make across all of your devices. Well, the whole cloud sync thing is a mixed bag as all of your codes are put online, but the developers promise that token generation only ever happens on your devices and never in the cloud. Either way, it’s one of the top ten options.
Individual authentication apps
Price: For free
Some apps and services use their own two-factor authentication methods. These usually come in the form of separate apps specifically for that app or service. Some notable examples are LastPass Authenticator for LastPass users, Blizzard Authenticator (linked via the button below) for Blizzard accounts, and Yahoo also uses a really unique system like this one. Basically, every Yahoo app works as a 2-factor authentication app for Yahoo accounts as long as you are logged in. I have personally used Yahoo Fantasy Sports several times to log into my account on my computer. In any case, these aren’t common, but they’re pretty good.
More options for 2-factor authentication
Price: Free (usually)
Many websites, banks and other companies use 2-factor authentication without the use of a separate app. For example, my bank allows me to send an email, SMS, or a call with a code to my banking app when I sign in with a new device. Some prominent examples of websites that do this are Twitter, Facebook, and even Google if you choose not to use the authentication app. Even my thermostat (Ecobee) uses 2-factor authentication when I log into my account. In addition, many banks use a similar method. The advantage is that you can get the token straight from the site you want to log in to. The downside is that the token arrives. If you’re using websites that don’t use 2-factor authentication apps and instead use their own thing, we highly recommend enabling that.
