The Google Authenticator app used to store one-time access codes for account security now supports backups and syncing across devices using a Google Account, Google announced today.

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.

Google says with one-time passwords available in a Google Account, users are “better protected from lockout,” increasing convenience and security. Google Account integration for Google Authenticator is available on both iOS and Android devices. Adding Google Account support will require signing into the account in the Google Authenticator app, and once that is done, codes will be automatically backed up and restored on any new device where you sign in to your Google Account.

The latest version of the app is required, and on iPhone and iPad, it can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Popular Stories

iOS 16.5 for iPhone Includes These Two Small But Useful Features

Apple made the second beta of iOS 16.5 available to developers and public testers last week. So far, only two new features and changes have been discovered for the iPhone, including a Sports tab in the Apple News app and the ability to start a screen recording with Siri. More details about these changes are outlined below. iOS 16.5 will likely be publicly released in May, and it is possible…

Three Unreleased Mac Models Appear in Apple’s Find My Configuration File

Three new Mac model identifiers were recently added to a Find My configuration file on Apple’s backend, as discovered by Nicolás Álvarez (via @aaronp613). The new identifiers are Mac14,8, Mac14,13, and Mac14,14, and they appear in a list alongside Mac14,3 and Mac14,12, the identifiers for the latest M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini models. The list in Apple’s configuration file relates to overriding…

iPadOS 17 Again Rumored to Drop Support for These iPads

Apple in iPadOS 17 will drop support for the first-generation 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro as well as the fifth-generation iPad, according to French tech website iPhoneSoft. This is the second time we have heard claims regarding iPad device compatibility for the next operating system Apple is developing. Early last month, a source with a proven track record for upcoming software updates…

AR/VR Headset Rumor Recap: 10 Features Coming to Apple’s Next Major Product

Apple in less than two months is planning to enter a new product category, debuting its first mixed reality headset. Rumors suggest that the upcoming headset will support both AR and VR technology, and that it will have a number of features that will outshine competing products. Render created by Ian Zelbo based on rumored information With the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, Apple’s hardware…

Top Stories: Apple Card Savings Account Launches, 15-Inch MacBook Air Rumors, and More

With roughly six weeks to go until WWDC, rumors are continuing to fly about what we might see at the event. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman joined us on this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show to give us his take on things, but there’s still lots up in the air. This week also saw the launch of the savings account companion to Apple Card and the promised smoke and carbon monoxide alarm sound…

Apple Headset to Use ‘New Proprietary Charging Connector’ for External Battery

Apple’s mixed reality headset will have two ports including a USB-C interface for data transfer and a new proprietary charging connector for the external battery, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Apple mixed reality headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Most AR/VR headsets on the market have an integrated battery, but reports suggest that Apple’s headset will connect to a…