The minor changes are welcome, but other approval apps have clearly moved forward
Google has been a big proponent of popularizing two-factor authentication to make login more secure, whether you use an alternative device prompt or a hardware key. However, it can be said that the company has not exactly been as enthusiastic about its own authentication app as its last major update came in May 2020. However, it seems that a new update is coming out now and it contains some new ones, albeit minor features that will add extra secrecy when it comes to moving the one-time codes around.
9to5Google has found with Authenticator v5.20 that it now hides every six-digit PIN for the accounts it hosts. Users can tap an item to reveal the code, then tap again to hide it at their discretion. They can also long press on a hidden code to transfer it to login and wait, perhaps without even seeing the code at first – even though the numbers in our test appear in Android 13’s clipboard overlay.
The Google Play Store says that v5.20 was released on May 23, but it takes time for each user to receive it. You have the option to sideload a third version of the beta version of v5.20 from APK Mirror – it works the same way.
Do you want a more ambitious update? You’re not alone. Reviewers have been asking for features we’ve been looking at in other apps, such as biometric login and better organization for a while now. We hope the company keeps an eye on user complaints, as it does on our data.
Looking at the bigger picture, Google has been active in protecting vulnerable Eastern Europeans from state-sponsored cyber attacks. On the consumer side, the soon-to-arrive password-free authentication on Google Chrome also looks like a step in the right direction. But then you have to take these things with a grain of salt while the company keeps on reinventing the cookie tracker.
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