With phishing scammers constantly coming upwardly with creative ways to fool Gmail users into revealing their passwords, two-factor authentication (2FA) is an important footstep in keeping your account prophylactic. Just if your Google Authenticator codes suddenly stop working, it might be related to a problem on your phone.

Mobile users might find that their Google Authenticator codes aren't working when logging into their accounts. And strangely plenty, the issue may actually have to do with Google Authenticator's fourth dimension settings.

If Google Authenticator app is non working, either on Android or iPhone, there may be a glitch with the fourth dimension sync. Fortunately, it'due south like shooting fish in a barrel to set this if Google Authenticator has stopped working. Here'southward how.

ane. Sync the App's Time

All you have to exercise is make sure your Google Authenticator app'south time is synced correctly. Launch the app, tap the Menu push (three dots), and get to Settings > Time Correction for Codes > Sync now.

You lot should find that your Authenticator codes work properly later on this.

Syncing the time in the Google Authenticator app won't affect the fourth dimension setting on your phone.

2. Update the Authenticator App

Are you confident that the Authenticator app on your phone has the latest updates installed? How long has it been since you final updated it? If y'all aren't certain, it might be the time for an update.

Updates are not only critical for patching security loopholes, but are also necessary to fix existing or new bugs in the software. Your app being outdated may very well be the reason Google Authenticator crashed (and this is why updates are so important!) A quick update will analyze if this is actually the example.

How practice you check whether your Google Authenticator app is up-to-date?

  1. On your Android device, go to the Google Play Store app.
  2. Click on your profile icon from the acme-right.
  3. Now, select Manage apps & devices.
  4. Apps with new available update are labeled every bit "Update bachelor."
  5. Select Update.

If in that location is a new update available for Google Authenticator, then it'll exist downloaded within a few seconds. Everything should get back to normal if the Authenticator actually stopped working due to an update issue.

Also, note that in general, information technology'south e'er meliorate to have automatic updates enabled on your devices. This will ward off any security threats or common bugs that may arise otherwise.

3.Install Google Authenticator on Multiple Devices

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Yous might be concerned about relying on just one device equally your authenticator. For example, y'all may lose your master device. Its battery may run out when you need information technology. Or it could exist inaccessible when you travel for some reason. There are many reasons Google Authenticator might take stopped working.

In these cases, 1 option is to install Google Authenticator on multiple devices. If you have an erstwhile phone that you lot no longer use, you tin can use that. Or you could install the app on your tablet as well as your phone.

Setting up 2 devices with Google Authenticator is really pretty basic. Firstly, install the app from the Play Shop on both devices. At present, navigate to the folio for setting up ii-factor hallmark. Y'all volition see a QR code.

Use this QR code first on your principal device, then on your secondary device. Enter the numeric code from either device to confirm if it works.

Now, both devices will prove the aforementioned numeric codes for logging in. If your primary device isn't available, y'all can employ your secondary device instead. If yous practice this, remember that yous'll need to proceed your secondary device somewhere safe.

Alternatively, if you have recently purchased a new device, you might want to await into switching Google Authenticator to a new phone.

4. Log In to Google Authenticator Using Redundancy Codes

When y'all fix your Google Authenticator app, yous accept an choice to create back-up codes. These codes are strings of numbers, and you can utilize each lawmaking merely once to log in.

Redundancy codes are very useful if you lose your device with Google Authenticator installed on it. Or if the Google Authenticator app isn't working for some reason. It'due south a adept idea to have a copy of your back-upwards codes and keep them somewhere safe.

How to Generate Back-Up Codes on Desktop

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To generate dorsum-up codes for your Google Authenticator app when you are browsing on a figurer, follow these steps:

  1. Go to your Google Business relationship two-Step Verification page. You may need to sign in to your account.
  2. Whorl down to the Add more than second steps to verify information technology's your department. Notice the Backup code'south subheading.
  3. If y'all've already gear up up codes, yous'll run across an option for Show codes. If not, click on Set up.
  4. The folio will generate 10 codes. Each is eight digits long.
  5. You lot should keep these codes somewhere safe—ideally, you should not store them on your estimator, as this could be a security issue.
  6. If y'all take used your codes and need to generate new ones, you can click on Get new codes.
  7. Click Impress to print the codes on paper. Or click Close to close the window.

How to Generate Redundancy Codes on Android

Alternatively, if you lot are on an Android device, so you can generate back-up codes in another way:

  1. Go to Settings in your Android device.
  2. Become to Google and then to Manage your Google Account.
  3. Select Security from the card at the top.
  4. Find the Signing into Google heading and select 2-Footstep Verification. Yous may demand to sign in to your business relationship.
  5. Now find the Backup codes section and tap Prove codes to encounter your codes. Alternatively, if yous have non ready codes yet, tap Set.
  6. From here, you tin choose to print your codes, or to write them down. There is an option to download your codes onto your device, only this is not platonic for security reasons. Write the codes downward on paper instead: yep, at that place's nonetheless a risk associated with doing that, but as long equally you keep that paper in a safe place, you lot should exist fine.
  7. If you have used up your codes, you can tap Get new codes to generate new ones.

How to Use Back-up Codes to Fix the Authenticator

If you ever find your Google Authenticator app isn't working, and y'all need to use your back-up codes, here's how to exercise that.

  1. Sign in to a Google service as usual, with your username and password.
  2. When you are asked for a verification code, select More options.
  3. Select Enter i of your 8-digit backup codes.
  4. Blazon in your redundancy code.
  5. Now you'll be logged in as normal.

Recollect that each code can be used merely once, so make certain you lot notwithstanding take spare codes for the time to come. So when you accept your back-up codes with you, if your Google Authenticator app stops working for whatever reason, you lot can recover your account in no fourth dimension.

Now You Know What to Do When Google Authenticator Isn't Working

Using 2FA is important to continue your accounts safe. Nonetheless, you should be enlightened that there are some security concerns regarding apps like Google Authenticator. It's besides essential to remember that while Google really is at the forefront of technological innovations, it's not without its fair share of awful products.

And then, when it comes to online security, don't exist agape to take matters in your ain hands.

Online Security Guide: 100+ Tips to Stay Safe Confronting Malware and Scams

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About The Author

Georgina Torbet (84 Articles Published)

Georgina is a science and engineering writer who lives in Berlin and has a PhD in psychology. When she's not writing she's usually to exist found tinkering with her PC or riding her bicycle, and you can see more of her writing at georginatorbet.com.

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