How can I make my Google Authenticator codes work again?

[Katarina Bering]

Hi. Can you please help me? I have over 80 accounts in my google authenticator app. Yesterday I decided to use a new sim-card with my phone (abroad), turned on the automatic date, time and timezone after putting the card in. Not a single code from the app has been working ever since. I've already taken that sim-card out and tried to reset the sim-card settings, and synced the phone's time via ClockSync, and have spent over five hours trying to set the right time zone in my google calendar - nothing worked so far. Those codes added after the new sim-card has been installed work the way they are supposed to.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I moved this from the Android Apps forum to the General Help forum, since the former is intended for developers to promote their apps.

Have you already tried re-verifying the phone, since it might consider the new SIM like a new phone? https://support.google.com/accounts/troubleshooter/4430955?hl=en#ts=4430956

 

[Katarina Bering]

Thank you!
The thing is I do not use this app for Google account 2SV. I use it for amazon account, ebay, and many other sites which require this kind of login. I will try to follow the steps of authenticating my phone, although I did not authenticate it the first time I began using the app. Will write back.

Thank you. Checked twice. It doesn't seem to work this way because there's no authenticator app connected to my google account right now.

 

[B. Diddy]

That's strange -- so you've gone through these steps to try to associate the Authenticator app with your Google account and your phone? https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1066447?co=GENIE.Platform=Android&hl=en

I've never used Authenticator on a device without having it also used for Google 2-factor authentication, so I'm not sure if it's possible to use it that way.

 

[Katarina Bering]

You don't have to necessarily use Authenticator for Google authentification. You can install this app and use for any website with two-factor verification after choosing the account you're logged in from your device. Meaning, I have two accounts on my phone, I tapped on one of them and now can use the app to login into any account on any website I need. The functioning of this app does not depend on the Google authentification - even if you add your account's verification, it's just one of many other codes.

I wonder whether this app is synced with Google account or it's a stand-alone application that works wth your phone.

 

[mustang7757]

You don't have to necessarily use Authenticator for Google authentification. You can install it and use for any website with two-factor verification after choosing the account you're logged in from your device. Meaning, I have two accounts on my phone, I tapped on one of them and now can use the app to login into any account on any website I need. The functioning of this app does not depend on the Google authentification - even if you add your account's verification, it's just one of many other codes.

I wonder whether this app is synced with Google account or it's a stand-alone application that works wth your phone.

Hi , I found this maybe can clear up some things for you
http://ask.metafilter.com/220525/Do...ation-only-care-about-the-mobile-phone-number

 

[Katarina Bering]

Hi , I found this maybe can clear up some things for you
http://ask.metafilter.com/220525/Do...ation-only-care-about-the-mobile-phone-number

Thank you! I've seen that one before. They talk specifically about Google account authentication.
An issue here is that codes for other accounts for some reason cannot be accepted. I've been meaning to remove google accounts from my phone and try to time-sync the app through a Time correction for codes in Settings menu.
It looks like the SIM-card swap somehow influenced an app clock. You know, when you swap your SIM and turn on the phone it shows wrong date and time for a couple of seconds or minutes - it depends on a speed of the sync. I turned on an automatic date/time/time zone to set the correct time and codes have not been working ever since.

 

[UnyteLux]

I have run into the same issue when I have switched phones and SIMs between phones. The only way I found was this

• Using the old phone disable 2FA whereever you use it
• Switch to your new phone/SIM
• Uninstall Authenticator completely if it has already been installed
• Reinstall it
• Go back to each of your 2FA sites and reactivate 2FA

Sounds painful I know but in the end I wished I had done it sooner since i wasted soooo much time trying to get Authenticator to work again without doing this. This route took me a whole 10 minutes which was a bargain.

 

[Katarina Bering]

I have run into the same issue when I have switched phones and SIMs between phones. The only way I found was this

• Using the old phone disable 2FA whereever you use it
• Switch to your new phone/SIM
• Uninstall Authenticator completely if it has already been installed
• Reinstall it
• Go back to each of your 2FA sites and reactivate 2FA

Sounds painful I know but in the end I wished I had done it sooner since i wasted soooo much time trying to get Authenticator to work again without doing this. This route took me a whole 10 minutes which was a bargain.

Thank you. It's not that painful if the codes are correct. The thing is I have NO access to those accounts since they won't accept the codes generated by the app. Something's wrong with settings. So, I can't get into account, can't deactivate the 2FA and can't reactivate it because I can't get acceses to the QR code in those accounts as well.

 

[Rukbat]

If you uninstall the Auhenticator app, then install it again, it will probably ask you for passwords for {some|most} of your accounts/sites. (Use the 1FA [normal] password.) Then Authenticator codes should be accepted again.

 

[Katarina Bering]

If you uninstall the Auhenticator app, then install it again, it will probably ask you for passwords for {some|most} of your accounts/sites. (Use the 1FA [normal] password.) Then Authenticator codes should be accepted again.

Thank you. The point is, if I uninstall the Authenticator app I will loose an access to ALL the accounts and sites which are connected to Authenticator. Security systems will ask for codes, and I won't have any as Google Authenticator has no way to backup those accounts connected to it.

 

[mustang7757]

Thank you! I've seen that one before. They talk specifically about Google account authentication.
An issue here is that codes for other accounts for some reason cannot be accepted. I've been meaning to remove google accounts from my phone and try to time-sync the app through a Time correction for codes in Settings menu.
It looks like the SIM-card swap somehow influenced an app clock. You know, when you swap your SIM and turn on the phone it shows wrong date and time for a couple of seconds or minutes - it depends on a speed of the sync. I turned on an automatic date/time/time zone to set the correct time and codes have not been working ever since.

Excuse me for not reading over everything again just going off your tag at the moment. you probably need to get the other sim back in the phone and then add the other number if possible

 

[Katarina Bering]

For everyone's interested information: tried to delete Google accounts from the phone, rebooted it and re-synced Authenticator app. This time sync worked as it has been supposed to, codes still are a no-go.

Excuse me for not reading over everything again just going off your tag at the moment. you probably need to get the other sim back in the phone and then add the other number if possible

That's okay. Already did that before - changed SIMs, re-synced and used ClockTime for atomic time settings. Can you please specify what do you mean under 'add other number'?

Just thinking - it would be great to find out what time Authenticator app is set to. Because it says codes are synced with Google servers' time BUT only those codes added after a SIM swap are functionable.
Interesting thing is - app works even when offline. There must be some way to get it in order.

 

[mustang7757]

That's okay. Already did that before - changed SIMs, re-synced and used ClockTime for atomic time settings. Can you please specify what do you mean under 'add other number'?

Just thinking - it would be great to find out what time Authenticator app is set to. Because it says codes are synced with Google servers' time BUT only those codes added after a SIM swap are functionable.
Interesting thing is - app works even when offline. There must be some way to get it in order.

The time I was reading articles about your situation , I stumbled across one saying in the Google authentication app if you had to swapp sim out there was a setting to add a sim , do you see that ?

 

[Katarina Bering]

The time I was reading articles about your situation , I stumbled across one saying in the Google authentication app if you had to swapp sim out there was a setting to add a sim , do you see that ?

No. Menu in the upper right corner offers me 'How it works', 'View in dark mode', 'Settings', 'Help & Feedback' sections. 'Settings' include 'Time correction for codes' option (which I already used) and 'About' which is a long list of support libraries.

 

[mustang7757]

No. Menu in the upper right corner offers me 'How it works', 'View in dark mode', 'Settings', 'Help & Feedback' sections. 'Settings' include 'Time correction for codes' option (which I already used) and 'About' which is a long list of support libraries.

https://gizmodo.com/how-to-easily-switch-your-two-factor-security-to-a-new-1821808681
I believe this was the article

 

[mustang7757]

I download the app this what is also says where to go to change numbers

 

[Katarina Bering]

I download the app this what is also says where to go to change numbersView attachment 305177

Thank you for your support. You see, those offers to update phone number, create other backup option and turn off 2SV concern your Google account, not the app. Authenticator works without any accounts added just as well - checked that already. There's no transfer from one phone number or account to another in this app (and you can't transfer it from one phone to another without loosing all the accounts and meeting a need to add them all over again (if you have access to your barcodes)) - all the info is stored on your phone or Google servers. Judging from its offline work it could easily be the phone.

 

[mustang7757]

So type g.co/2sv takes you to your Google account and go from there

 

[mustang7757]

Thank you for your support. You see, those offers to update phone number, create other backup option and turn off 2SV concern your Google account, not the app. Authenticator works without any accounts added just as well - checked that already. There's no transfer from one phone number or account to another in this app (and you can't transfer it from one phone to another without loosing all the accounts and meeting a need to add them all over again (if you have access to your barcodes)) - all the info is stored on your phone or Google servers. Judging from its offline work it could easily be the phone.

Yeah but that's straight from within the app setting it up , so has to work with Google account maybe something there . The back up probably go to Google drive?