Accounts
Authenticator app
In Turkish: Kimlik doğrulama uygulaması
An app on your phone that shows a short code which changes every half minute or so, used as the second step when you sign in.
The app and the service share a secret when you set it up, usually by scanning a QR code. After that the app creates fresh codes on its own, even without a network connection, so nothing travels over SMS where it could be intercepted.
The catch is the phone itself: if it is lost or replaced and you did not move the codes, you can be locked out. Move them with the app's transfer option while the old phone still works, and keep backup codes.
What to do
- Set it up on your important accounts and test a login right away.
- Before changing phones, transfer the codes while the old one works.
- Keep backup codes somewhere safe, apart from the phone.