A real Mac app
One App Store listing installs Autheris on iPhone, iPad and Mac. The Mac version is native, with Touch ID or your login password to unlock.
Google Authenticator alternative
A Google Authenticator alternative that lives on all your Apple devices
Autheris generates the same 2FA codes as Google Authenticator, imports all your accounts from one QR code, and adds a native Mac app, an Apple Watch app and encrypted backups. Free, open source, and no Google Account involved.
- Imports Google Authenticator transfer codes
- Free, open source (MIT)
- No account, no tracking
Side by side
Autheris vs Google Authenticator
Both are free and both generate the same standard codes, so every service that works with one works with the other. The difference is where your secrets go and which devices you can use.
| Feature | Autheris | Google Authenticator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no ads | Free |
| Account needed | None. Nothing to sign up for | Optional Google Account for cloud sync |
| Where secrets are stored | Device Keychain, this device only | On the device, or synced to your Google Account |
| Sync between your devices | Opt-in iCloud Sync with encrypted fields, your own Apple ID | Through your Google Account |
| Native Mac app | Yes, not a scaled-up phone app | No |
| Apple Watch app | Yes, codes generated on the watch | No |
| Encrypted backup file | AES-256-GCM, password you choose | No; transfer by QR code |
| Open source | Yes, MIT licence | No |
| Counter-based (HOTP) codes | Yes, with a Next Code button | Yes |
| Moving accounts in | Reads Google Authenticator transfer QR codes | — |
Google Authenticator details are from its iPhone app as of October 2026. Features change; check Google’s own documentation for the latest.
How to switch
Move from Google Authenticator in about two minutes
Nothing changes on the services themselves: the same secrets come across, so the codes Autheris shows are the codes those services already expect.
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Export from Google Authenticator
In Google Authenticator open the menu, choose Transfer accounts → Export accounts, pick the accounts and it shows one or more QR codes.
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Scan them in Autheris
In Autheris choose Add, then scan the transfer QR code with your camera — or Upload QR if you took a screenshot. Every account in it comes across at once.
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Check, then tidy up
Compare a code or two in both apps. Once they match, you can delete the accounts from Google Authenticator. If you used screenshots, delete those too.
Why people switch
What you get that Google Authenticator doesn’t offer
Codes on your Apple Watch
One code at a time with its own countdown ring, generated on the watch so it keeps working with your phone in another room.
No Google Account in the loop
Secrets live in the device Keychain. If you turn on iCloud Sync, they travel in your own private iCloud database with encrypted fields that the developer cannot read.
Code you can read
Autheris is MIT-licensed on GitHub. The sync merge rules, backup crypto and privacy shield are small, tested types you can audit.
FAQ
Questions before you switch
Is Autheris a good Google Authenticator alternative?
If you use Apple devices, yes. Autheris generates the same standard TOTP and HOTP codes, imports your Google Authenticator accounts from its transfer QR code, and adds a native Mac app, an Apple Watch app, encrypted backups and published source code. It is free with no ads.
Will my existing 2FA codes keep working after I switch?
Yes. Importing copies the same secret for each account, so Autheris shows exactly the codes the service already expects. You do not need to reset two-factor authentication on any site.
Can I keep Google Authenticator while I try Autheris?
Yes. Exporting from Google Authenticator does not remove anything, so both apps show the same codes until you choose to delete the accounts from one of them.
Does Autheris need a Google or Apple account?
No. There is no Autheris account and the app works entirely offline. Your Apple ID is only involved if you turn on iCloud Sync to keep codes in step across your own devices.
What happens to my codes if I lose my iPhone?
If iCloud Sync was on, they come back on any iPhone, iPad or Mac signed in to the same Apple ID. If it was off, export an encrypted backup from Settings → Backup ahead of time, because the codes otherwise exist only on that device.
Bring your codes across today
Free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. Import from Google Authenticator in one scan.
iOS 26.0, iPadOS 26.0, macOS 14.0 and watchOS 26.0 or later · Free · No account