Why we recommend Authy for 2FA

You may have noticed a subtle change when you set up Two-factor authentication in the Bitbns website. Instead of Google Authenticator, we’re now recommending Authy.

Why Authy?

The major issue with Google Authenticator is: if you lose your phone, you lose access to your 2FA account unless you have private key stored.

Even if you uninstall Google Auth by mistake, say by doing a factory reset on your phone, you can’t recover your account without your private keys. This means you’ll have to contact our support team.

Unlike Google Authenticator, Authy allows encrypted cloud back-up of your private key which means you can recover your account easily if you lose or reset your phone. This also makes using Authy on multiple devices extremely easy.

Hence, we strongly urge our users to stop using Google Authenticator and shift to Authy.

How do I shift to Authy from Google Authenticator?

You may have saved your private key stored when you first enabled 2FA.

If you have your private key:
You simply have to add the existing key in Authy

If you don’t have your private key:
Assuming you can still access the Google Authenticator app, you have to disable 2FA in Bitbns (which requires a 2FA code) and enable it again, and then paste the new private key in Authy

Is it safe to use Authy?

Yes, it’s trustworthy. Authy is created by a major US-based company named Twilio and is commonly used by cryptocurrency enthusiasts.

A review of many 2FA apps by the New York Times concluded that Authy offers the best experience:

“After interviewing three experts and testing seven authenticator apps, we think Authy has the best combination of compatibility, usability, security, and reliability.”

How do I use Authy on multiple devices?

Once you’ve added Bitbns in the Authy app, we recommend you install Authy on another device (like your laptop) as a backup.

• In your first device, go to Authy’s settings and enable Backups (in Accounts tab) and Multi-device (in Devices tab) if necessary
• Install Authy in your second device and sign-in
• Enter the backup password to import your codes

Is it safe to use Authy on multiple devices?

Yes, it is safe. Authy uses fingerprint (or PIN) while opening the mobile app, which ensures security.

If you’re still worried, check if the multi-device option has been disabled after adding the backup device. Authy automatically disables this option after you add your first back-up device. This is to prevent any additional, unauthorized devices from being added.

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We hope this will prevent problems some users had in using 2-factor authentication.

We also do not have any business affiliation with Authy; our recommendation is purely for the well-being and benefit of the user. Thank you!