What you need to know
- Google has started rolling out version 7.0 of the Authenticator app, which adapts its user interface to the Material 3 design.
- The redesign adds two new features: privacy screen and a search option for app security and convenience.
- Last year, as Google moved toward a “passwordless” world, it moved from storing one-time codes on your device to storing them in your account.
Google Authenticator, the helpful one-stop shop for your two-factor passwords, has just undergone a major overhaul with new features that will apparently soon be available to all users.
The folks at 9to5Google were quick to notice the new design (v7.0) rolled out on Android, bringing the app up to Material 3 code. Since the Authenticator app holds the (literal) key to our accounts, Google has introduced a new feature called “Privacy Screen.” The company intends to use this feature to increase the security of the app by restricting access using your lock screen credentials.
In the app settings, users can enable the privacy screen, which uses your previously set PIN or biometric data as its own. Users can then set how quickly the Authenticator app requires another password entry.
The app offers the following options: immediately, after 10 seconds, after one minute and after 10 minutes.
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The second new feature concerns the ability for Android users to search content between Google accounts. In addition, the publication states that the app has now integrated the hamburger menu icon into the account switcher.
Some minor changes come with the update via the Finder for scanning QR codes. Google has added some privacy information and explained that it doesn’t share the image you take, only the “scan results.” Unlike Lens, Google doesn’t store the image you take anywhere (or for any purpose). The QR code scanner also adds a flash option in the top right corner to illuminate darker codes.
Several screens and the associated UI of the Authenticator app have been redesigned to align with Google’s Material Design. The post states that version 7.0 of the app is not yet available for most Android devices, but once it is, users will be able to download it via the Play Store.
Aside from the app’s one-time code sync for accounts, Google’s work with the Authenticator app has been kept relatively quiet. The feature was aimed at easing the frustration of users who lose their device or it gets stolen. Google moved the codes used for 2FA (two-factor authentication) into your account instead of storing them natively on the device.
If users don’t like this idea, they can always turn off the sync option or not sign in to a Google account. This is all part of Google’s efforts to create a “passwordless” world by introducing new options like passkeys for accounts.
