Google Authenticator

Google Authenticator is a powerful software-based authenticator developed and published by Google. Users can download Google Authenticator only on three mobile platforms: BlackBerry OS, iOS, and Android.

Functionality 5/5

Google Authenticator implements a two-step verification. It uses two algorithms: Time-based One-time Password Algorithm and HMAC-based One-time Password algorithm to ensure that all your personal information is safely stored and checked. Note that you can authenticate through the Google Authenticator app only to mobile applications that were developed by Google. During login, the app randomly generates a six- to the eight-digit one-time password, which you can enter with your usual login information.

Design 5/5

The design of Google Authenticator is made in the spirit of all Google products. It means that it is minimalistic, simple, and, of course, material. We liked the app because it does not use unnecessary details, buttons, and so on. The clean interface allows newcomers to quickly figure out things and understand how it works. Moreover, you can switch between two modes: day and night. The first one uses light colors, while another — dark.

Usability 5/5

The main concern about Google Authenticator is that it keeps sensitive personal information. Therefore, the first thing the developers need to take into consideration is the safety and protection of such information, and the second thing is usability. During the Google Authenticator review, we discovered that the app is not only safe but also easy-to-use. Just after you installed the application, you need to add the sites with which you are planning to use Google Authenticator. Then, the site provides a special secret key to the user that will be used later to access the site. That’s all! The application will be automatically activated when you will log in to the site. This so-called two-factor authentication allows you to provide a more secure way to enter the site. It means that knowing your username and password is not sufficient to break into a user’s account because the user also needs to provide a shared secret key.

Cross-platform use 4/5

Google Authenticator app is only available on three mobile platforms: iOS, Android, and BlackBerry OS. We were really surprised when we found in this list BlackBerry OS, but not Windows Phone. Perhaps this is due to the fact that more applications from Google are installed on BlackBerry than on Windows Phone. And as you know, Google Authenticator allows you to authenticate only to Google applications.

In-app purchases

Google Authenticator is completely free to use, install, and download. As it serves only one main purpose, to provide you with a more secure way to log in to the sites, the app does not have any premium subscriptions or additional in-app purchases. Each user, regardless of which country and platform uses the application, has full access to all features.

The Bottom Line

Google Authenticator is the application that automatically generates two-step verification codes on your mobile phones. It has a clean and intuitive interface. All you need is just add the sites you want to use with the app. After that, every time you will log in to this platform later and enter your logging information, the application will check a shared secret key. Google Authenticator is available in iOS, Android, and BlackBerry OS.