Google LLC has updated Google Authenticator, its two-factor authentication app, with a feature that will help users avoid losing access to their login credentials.

The company released the new feature today along with a redesign of the app’s interface.

Released in 2010, Google Authenticator allows users to enable two-factor authentication for their Google accounts. It also works with many third-party services. The Android edition of the app has reportedly been downloaded more than 100 million times, while the iOS version is widely used as well. 

Google Authenticator works by generating a set of onetime login codes for an application to which it’s connected. When consumers wish to sign in, they must enter not only their usernames and passwords but also one of the login codes. Using a second login credential helps reduce the risk of account breaches.

Google Authenticator stores the one-time login codes it generates locally on the user’s device. That allows the app to be used offline if necessary, but also presents an issue. Onetime login codes can’t be easily recovered if the device on which they’re stored is lost.

“One major piece of feedback we’ve heard from users over the years was the complexity in dealing with lost or stolen devices that had Google Authenticator installed,” Google group product manager Christiaan Brand wrote in a blog post today. “Since one time codes in Authenticator were only stored on a single device, a loss of that device meant that users lost their ability to sign in to any service on which they’d set up 2FA using Authenticator.”

Today’s update addresses that issue. By default, Google Authenticator now syncs onetime codes to the user’s Google Account. Consumers can regain access to the codes stored on a lost device simply by signing into their accounts. 

“This change means users are better protected from lockout and that services can rely on users retaining access, increasing both convenience and security,” Brand wrote.

Google Authenticator is one of several tools that the search giant provides to help users securely log into applications. It also offers a free password manager as part of Android and Chrome. Meanwhile, the company’s Sign In with Google service allows consumers to log into cloud services using their Google accounts.

In the long term, the Alphabet Inc. unit hopes to phase out the use of usernames and passwords. Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. are working towards the same goal.

Last year, the three tech giants committed to implementing a passwordless login feature in many of their services. Users will gain the ability to sign in simply by unlocking their smartphones. The feature is set to be powered by passcodes, a type of login credential that is stored locally on the user’s device with a backup copy in the cloud. 

Image: Google