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What to do if the Google Authenticator codes don’t work

Google Authenticator is an application that we can use to access our accounts, as part of the two-step verification. Many web pages and applications in Spain are compatible with it, such as Facebook or PayPal, among others. It is presented as a very helpful tool to access our accounts in a secure way, preventing someone from entering them without our permission.

As can happen with any application on Android, too Google Authenticator may have problems of operation. In your case, it may happen that the application does not show codes when we need to log in. Due to this problem, it is impossible for us to enter any account.

Google Authenticator: what it is, how to configure it and how to use it

Do you want to use two-step verification on your accounts? Find out how you can use Google Authenticator on your Android phone.

East it is a problem that can have several originsIt is not very clear what causes it, so there are several possible solutions to apply in this case, which usually help the application to show the necessary codes again to log into one of our accounts.

Time correction of codes

A common cause of Google Authenticator not displaying codes is that there has been a problem with the Time Correction function for codes. There are times when the time used in the application has not been synchronized with the current time, the one used in the phone at the time. Therefore, the codes are not displayed when we try to use it. All we have to do is restart this function, as follows:

Open the app on your phone.
Click on the three vertical dots.
Go into Settings.
Go to Time correction for codes.
Tap Sync now.

The most common is that this will serve to make it work well again, since is usually the most common problem that Google Authenticator usually experiences on Android. So with this simple step you can have the codes again, although it will not always work.

How to move Google Authenticator to your new phone

If you’re changing phones and need to use Google Authenticator for 2-Step Verification, find out how to move the app to your new phone.

Restart app and phone

Older solution in these cases, but still working fine. There are times when the application itself has a bug, and it is enough to close it, kill it from the recent apps menu and then open it again. When this is done, the codes make an appearance in Google Authenticator again, allowing us to use the application normally again. This option is worth trying.

One step further is going to restart the phone, which also works well with any kind of problem, also when an application does not work well. If you are having problems with this app, restart the device and when it is turned on again try to use it again. The codes will probably show up again and you can use it normally to access your accounts.

Install Google Authenticator on more devices

It is possible that you have only installed Google Authenticator on one of your devices, like your Android phone. Normally, you will only need to use the application on one device, although in case of a problem like the current one or in situations such as when the battery runs out or you don’t have the device with you, it can be a serious inconvenience. In this situation, it is best to have this tool on more devices.

Install it on an old tablet or phone that you don’t useThus, giving it a real utility can be a good help. Since this way, if the Android application is crashing or your phone has run out of battery, you can resort to one of the other devices, to obtain the necessary codes to enter any of your accounts.

Also, Google Authenticator can be moved from one device to another, so it’s easy to have it on more than one device to be able to use it. The process does not have too many complications, we already showed you a while ago how it can be done. You have to follow these steps: