F.A.Q.

Questions and answers for frequently asked questions

Is Authenticator Pro available / coming to iOS?

No, and probably not. Publishing an app on the App Store requires that you pay an annual $99 fee. Furthermore, you must own Apple hardware to develop an app in the first place.

How do I restore a backup?

Use the 3rd option in the "Add" menu (+ icon) and select your backup file.

Can you add sync to Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.

No. Syncing to cloud services would require the internet permission and heavy intrusive SDKs to support them. Also, they have a habit of changing the APIs often, which just requires more work.

Will you implement [feature]?

Maybe. Create an issue and fill out the "Feature request" template.

Can you add an icon?

Yes. Create a request in a GitHub issue, or do it yourself if you'd like.

I've entered the code, and it's not working, what should I do?

Make sure that the time on your device is correct. Sync with a mobile network if possible for better accuracy. Open time.is on your device to check the accuracy. A difference of more than a few seconds may cause invalid codes to be generated.

Authenticator Pro does not work with Facebook, PayPal, etc.

Yes it does, the issue is most certainly a problem with the time on your device. See above.

Why doesn't Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc. appear in the auto-backup storage location list?

The dialog you see when you select a storage location is not part of Authenticator Pro, but rather part of Android. The Storage Access Framework, as it is named, receives varying levels of support from cloud providers. If the provider of your choice does not appear, then this is a limitation of their app.

Fully supporting it is possible (Nextcloud, for instance), but this may not be a high priority for the developers. A way around this would be to back up to a folder on your device and then use a 3rd party to sync the contents of that to cloud storage. First party support for cloud services will not be implemented, see above.

Can you add import for [alternative authenticator app]?

It depends on if the app supports exporting your data to a file. For instance, Microsoft Authenticator doesn't allow you to export your secrets, but rather only lets you sync with your Microsoft account. Your data is locked in, and thus it's impossible to transfer to Authenticator Pro without disabling and re-enabling 2FA on all of your accounts.

Does Authenticator Pro support [service]?

Probably. Authenticator Pro supports TOTP, HOTP, mOTP and Steam which covers most of the services.

How do I download the Wear OS companion app?

Open the Google Play store page on your phone, you can install the app from the "Available on more devices" section.

Why does the Wear OS app say "No Authenticators" with a blue cloud icon?

The blue cloud icon means that the Wear OS app cannot connect to the phone app. Here are a few things to check:

  • The Bluetooth connection is temporarily offline. Open Google's Wear OS app on your phone to view the state of the connection.
  • There is a version difference between both apps. Open Google Play on both devices and check for updates.
  • An F-Droid release is used. These versions are delivered without proprietary components such as Wear OS sync, use a Google Play version instead.
  • The app is installed from an APK. Install both versions of the app from Google Play to ensure compatibility.

Why does it say HOTP not supported on the Wear OS app?

HOTP relies on a counter being in sync between the phone and the watch. Currently, the data transfer is one-directional, HOTP would need to report the current counter to the phone reliably. This is not feasible since the Wear OS app does not require a persistent connection to the phone.

I cannot access my accounts because I cleared the data on my phone without creating a backup. Can you help me?

No, Authenticator Pro generates codes offline, I have no access to your accounts. Use a recovery code to gain access. If you don't have one, you must contact the support of the service you are using.

I cannot remember the password for my backup. Can you help me?

See above. The data is encrypted and cannot be accessed without the password, there is no way around this.

I cannot remember the password for the app. Can you help me?

See above

I lost my phone, can you disable two-factor authentication on my account(s)?

See above

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