What everybody ought to know about Google™ Authenticator

Author: Google Inc.
Price: Free
Operating System: Android, iPhone, Blackberry

Do you check your e-mails on your mobile phone? If you have got multiple accounts configured in a Gmail account then it is important for you to apply an extra security layer before the account is accessed. In this case, get hold of Google Authenticator, which can easily do the job for you. Google Authenticator is specifically designed for Gmail accounts. The app is quite user-friendly and it will help you to protect your personal e-mails. The moment you install this app on your mobile device, it will prompt you to turn on 2-step verification from your Gmail account. Although, the procedure for enabling the 2-step verification code can take time but it is going to benefit you in the near future.

 Once the process for the 2-step verification is over, open the browser from your mobile device and access your e-mail account by entering your login details. Subsequently, it will request you to insert the six digit code which was generated by the 2-step verification process and later stored in Google Authenticator app. Though the six digit code is static, but you can change it by either carrying out the procedure for 2-step verification code or directly synchronizing the e-mail settings with the installed app. In this way, everytime you will logon to your Gmail account, you will have to use the six digit code to make an entry to your account.

Key Features

• Support for Multiple Platforms: Google Authenticator is fully compatible with various mobile platforms such as Android, iPhone and BlackBerry.
• Automated Code Generation: The app will automatically generate a QR code and you will not require any steps to create a special code.
• Several e-mails accounts supported: In case you have got different Gmail accounts on your phone, you can use the app to assign the six digit code for all the accounts. In that case, make sure you perform the entire procedure for every account separately.
• Automatic Synchronization: If you want to change the secret code for your account, synchronize the account to your mobile device. It will automatically synchronize the code on your smartphone.

Overall, the app offers a new way to protect a Gmail account but it will be nice if the developer will try to add a password or a pin-number for the app. This will prevent the intruders to locate the six digit code stored within the app.  To install Google Authenticator, click here.