5 ms·

What does it mean that it 'loses all accounts'? I use two factor auth but not this app, so I am not sure why people are going to have such a bad day...

by veidr 13y ago

kibibu 13y ago
You add your Google (and potentially other) accounts in the app - then you need to open the app to log in to your account. The app is "forgetting" and no longer displaying the accounts you add, such that you open Authenticator and it's empty. You can no longer log in to your Google account without one of the 10 printed one-time access codes you made when you first set it up.
- elithrar 13y ago
  > You can no longer log in to your Google account without one of the 10 printed one-time access codes you made when you first set it up. * or a backup phone number that's been verified (i.e. send a verification code and confirmed).
  - Tichy 13y ago
    Hm, the point of authenticator is to not use the phone, because phjone numbers may be more vulnerable. wasn't there a case of social hacking where the telco forwarded to hacker's phone?
    - Semaphor 13y ago
      That was a case of them circumventing the 2FA he had, they just granted access. Authenticator is a mobile phone app, how are you supposed not to use your phone with it?
      - kungfooey 13y ago
        You could set it up on a tablet.
        Semaphor 13y ago
        Which are still quite a bit rarer than smartphones. Plus it makes your password way less portable.
      - Tichy 13y ago
        I measnt not use the phone network, because the SMS could be diverted.
gmac 13y ago
You get greeted by a "let's begin" screen, and all your accounts/credentials have magically gone away. This happened to me 5 minutes ago. Edit: tweet with picture: https://twitter.com/jawj/status/375144792126410752 https://twitter.com/jawj/status/375144792126410752
- natch 13y ago
  So your account has not gone away, nor has it been deleted, nor has any magic happened; your account is still there safe and sound on Google's servers, it's just that the settings in this one mobile app have been wiped, correct?
  - kevingadd 13y ago
    Without the settings in your authenticator you're locked out of accounts that require a 2-factor token from it, unless you've got backup tokens printed out.
  - julianz 13y ago
    Yes, but this is the mobile app that lets you log into your account on Google.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
  - bdcravens 13y ago
    Correct. As long as you have a backup method of logging in (one time use password, phone # recovery, etc) you can get back in and register new 2FA.
  - Groxx 13y ago
    Well, depends on where you're looking. The app's record of the account has gone away. Given that this is an authentication app, that's a rather serious problem.
- toyg 13y ago
  That seems awfully similar to what keeps happening with their G+ and Hangouts app: every few weeks, the apps think you never logged on the damn thing, and take you back through the whole process including a welcome tour!

What does it mean that it 'loses all accounts'? I use two factor auth but not this app, so I am not sure why people are going to have such a bad day...

by veidr 13y ago

What does it mean that it 'loses all accounts'? I use two factor auth but not this app, so I am not sure why people are going to have such a bad day...

kibibu 13y ago

You add your Google (and potentially other) accounts in the app - then you need to open the app to log in to your account. The app is "forgetting" and no longer displaying the accounts you add, such that you open Authenticator and it's empty. You can no longer log in to your Google account without one of the 10 printed one-time access codes you made when you first set it up.

elithrar 13y ago
> You can no longer log in to your Google account without one of the 10 printed one-time access codes you made when you first set it up. * or a backup phone number that's been verified (i.e. send a verification code and confirmed).
- Tichy 13y ago
  Hm, the point of authenticator is to not use the phone, because phjone numbers may be more vulnerable. wasn't there a case of social hacking where the telco forwarded to hacker's phone?
  - Semaphor 13y ago
    That was a case of them circumventing the 2FA he had, they just granted access. Authenticator is a mobile phone app, how are you supposed not to use your phone with it?
    - kungfooey 13y ago
      You could set it up on a tablet.
      - Semaphor 13y ago
        Which are still quite a bit rarer than smartphones. Plus it makes your password way less portable.
    - Tichy 13y ago
      I measnt not use the phone network, because the SMS could be diverted.

gmac 13y ago

You get greeted by a "let's begin" screen, and all your accounts/credentials have magically gone away. This happened to me 5 minutes ago. Edit: tweet with picture: https://twitter.com/jawj/status/375144792126410752 https://twitter.com/jawj/status/375144792126410752

natch 13y ago
So your account has not gone away, nor has it been deleted, nor has any magic happened; your account is still there safe and sound on Google's servers, it's just that the settings in this one mobile app have been wiped, correct?
- kevingadd 13y ago
  Without the settings in your authenticator you're locked out of accounts that require a 2-factor token from it, unless you've got backup tokens printed out.
- julianz 13y ago
  Yes, but this is the mobile app that lets you log into your account on Google.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- bdcravens 13y ago
  Correct. As long as you have a backup method of logging in (one time use password, phone # recovery, etc) you can get back in and register new 2FA.
- Groxx 13y ago
  Well, depends on where you're looking. The app's record of the account has gone away. Given that this is an authentication app, that's a rather serious problem.
toyg 13y ago
That seems awfully similar to what keeps happening with their G+ and Hangouts app: every few weeks, the apps think you never logged on the damn thing, and take you back through the whole process including a welcome tour!