Guides and FAQ for Simple Authenticator — a cross-platform TOTP 2FA app.
Phones & tablets
Encrypted cloud sync
Install Simple Authenticator from the App Store or Google Play. You can Skip for now to use the app fully offline, or sign in with Google if you want encrypted cloud backup later. Add your first account by scanning a QR code or entering a secret manually. Optionally enable PIN lock in Settings.
No. Simple Authenticator only stores 2FA secrets and generates TOTP/HOTP codes. It does not store website passwords, payment cards, or notes.
Account secrets are stored in the device’s secure storage layer. You can lock the app with a PIN and biometrics. If you enable cloud backup, data is encrypted on-device with your sync passphrase (AES-256-GCM) before upload — plaintext secrets are not stored in the cloud.
Tap + / Add Account, then:
• Scan QR — camera for a standard otpauth QR code
• Gallery — pick a QR image
• Enter manually — issuer, account name, and secret
• Import Google Authenticator — use a migration QR from Google Authenticator export
TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password) is typically a 6-digit code that changes every 30 seconds. Services like Google, Microsoft, and GitHub use it for two-factor authentication. Codes are generated offline on your phone from a secret key.
Yes. Core authenticator features are free. The app may show banner ads. There is no separate “premium vault” or paid password-manager tier in the product.
Cloud (optional): Sign in with Google, then enable cloud sync in Settings and set a sync passphrase. Backups are end-to-end encrypted with that passphrase.
File export: Settings → Export accounts creates an encrypted JSON backup with a separate file passphrase you can store offline or share to another device.
Without backup or export, reinstalling the app or losing the device may mean re-adding accounts from each service’s 2FA setup (or service backup codes).
If cloud sync was enabled: install the app, sign in with the same Google account, enter your sync passphrase, and restore/merge as prompted.
If you used file export: import the encrypted backup file on the new device.
Otherwise re-scan QR codes for each service (or use each service’s recovery flow).
No. Optional backup uses encrypted cloud storage tied to your signed-in account (Firebase), not iCloud/CloudKit. You can always stay fully local with Skip + file export.
Cloud backup stores ciphertext only. Without your sync passphrase, the backup cannot be decrypted. Keep that passphrase safe — it cannot be recovered if forgotten.
PIN is local to the device. If biometrics still work, try biometric unlock. If you are fully locked out, you may need to reinstall the app (local data may be lost) and restore from cloud backup or an export file if you have one.