Google’s Authenticator is one of the best and most widely used Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) apps for Android and iOS. Recently, Google released a major update that adds more features to further improve the security of your online accounts. What if Google Authenticator suddenly refuses to work on your phone? This means you cannot access apps/services that you have secured with 2FA with the app.
In this post, we have listed five (5) different troubleshooting fixes when Google Authenticator is not working on your iPhone.
Authenticator usually won’t work if there is a discrepancy between the app’s time and your iPhone’s date/time configuration. And in the rare cases where the app doesn’t work even though you have the correct date and time set on your device, the problem could be caused by other software-related issues. With that in mind, let’s dive straight into the solutions.
1. Check the Time and Date
When Google Authenticator stops working on your iPhone, you should check the time and date configuration on it. If your device’s time and date are incorrect or not synced correctly, you may encounter problems using the Google Authenticator app. If you travel to a different time zone, the app’s time and date configuration may also be out of sync. When this happens, the Authenticator will not work. Other times, you may receive ‘Invalid code’ error messages every time you use app generated codes.
The Android version of the app has a ‘Time correction for codes’ section where you can easily fix the time sync error of the app by tapping the Sync now button. However, things are wired differently for iOS. Unfortunately, you cannot fix time and date sync errors directly in your iPhone’s Google Authenticator app.
However, you can make sure your iPhone’s ‘Date & Time’ settings are configured to update/sync automatically. This way, the clock of the Authenticator app will also be synchronized. Here’s how to configure automatic time update/sync on iPhone.
Stage 1: Launch the iPhone Settings menu and select General.
Step 2: Select ‘Date & Time’.
Stage 3: Turn on Set Automatically.
If the option is already enabled, you can turn it off and then on again. Now check if Google Authenticator is working on your iPhone.
2. Restart iPhone
Restarting your phone can also help you fix the problem that causes Authenticator to stop working. Aside from clearing out some software-related glitches, restarting your iPhone will also help you update and install new time zone definitions.
Tap and hold the power button and one of the volume buttons to turn off your iPhone. Alternatively, go to Settings > General > Turn Off > Swipe to Turn Off.
Press and hold the power button for about 5 seconds to restart your device. Once your device boots, it should refresh and new time zones set up. Now launch the Google Authenticator app and check if that works.
3. Update Google Authenticator
4. Uninstall and Reinstall Authenticator
Uninstalling and reinstalling Google Authenticator is another effective solution to get the app working again on your iPhone. It was the only way for some Google Authenticator users to run the app on their iPhone. Before proceeding with this, you should note that deleting the Authenticator from your device will also delete the data of the app. This means you will need to reconfigure the Authenticator app (in your Google Account Security settings) when you reinstall it on your device.
To delete Google Authenticator from your device, long press the app’s icon on your home screen and select Delete App. Then tap Delete in the confirmation window that opens.
5. Update iOS
Running the latest version of iOS updates is one of the recommended requirements for using Authenticator. If the app is not working or you are having some issues while using it, check that your iPhone’s operating system is running the latest version available. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap the ‘Download & Install’ button to update your operating system.
If Google Authenticator didn’t work before due to an OS-related issue, updating iOS should get it working again.
Secure Your Defense
Google Authenticator is generally a stable app. In unforeseen situations where the app is not working or showing invalid codes, any of the five troubleshooting fixes mentioned above should get the app working again. Let us know which one worked for you or if you found another trick in the comments section below.
Next: Do you use 2FA on social media and banking sites? What if you lose access to these codes or lose your phone? Check out the article linked below to learn how to backup 2FA codes and why you should.
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