The Google Authenticator PC application can be helpful, but it’s annoying that Google hasn’t made an official desktop app yet. However, you can use Google Authenticator on Windows computer in a different way. Let’s take a look at ways to use Google Authenticator for PC.

Exporting 2FA from Google to computer

To do this, you will need a “secret code” for Google Authenticator. This is the seed from which code generators can create code that works with Google.

To get the secret code, go to theGoogle Account Security page. Go to the “Sign in to Google” section and click “2-step verification”.

If Google knows you have a phone connected to your account, it will guide you through setting up a basic phone messaging service.

After following these steps, you will be able to configure the Authenticator app. While we are not going to download the actual application, we must pretend that we are obtaining a secret key. Click “Configure”.

Follow the instructions until it asks you to scan the QR code. Under the code, click “Can’t scan this?”

On the next page, find the secret key and copy it. This is what you’ll type in third-party apps when they request the key. However, be sure to keep it a secret. If someone else receives this information, they can use it to log into your account!

Now that we have the code in place, let’s see where we can put it.

1. WinAuth

If you are concerned about your code being stolen or leaked by a third party application, tryWinAuth. Its main attraction is that it is an open source application that can be downloaded onto your computer. As such, there is no obfuscated code or cloud storage to leak your key.

Configuration with WinAuth is very simple. After WinAuth starts, add a new Google account.

Enter your private key and then click the “Verify Authenticator” button. Continue to setup your Google account and enter the code provided by WinAuth.

Copy the generated one-time password, paste it into the Google security settings page, and click the “Verify and Save” button to verify the generated code.

If everything is done correctly, Google will display a confirmation window informing you about it. Just click the “OK” button to save the changes to your Google Account.

Go back to the WinAuth window: After confirming the generated code, click OK to save the changes to the WinAuth application.

As soon as you click the “OK” button, WinAuth will open the Protection window where you can set a password to encrypt files saved by WinAuth. This ensures that any unauthorized access is blocked. Just enter your password twice and click “OK” to save your changes. Alternatively, you can also configure WinAuth to encrypt your files so that it can only be used on the current computer, but using password protection is much more profitable.

Now you can use Google Authenticator on your Windows PC using WinAuth.

2. WinOTP Authenticator

The WinOTP authorizeris actually only for Windows 10 and can be downloaded directly from the Microsoft Store. Click the “+” button at the bottom to add a new service. While the app claims to be able to read QR codes, it doesn’t work for me, but definitely try to see if it works for you.

Otherwise, just enter the service name, username and code. Then everything is ready. You can choose whatever you want for the service name and username, but make sure you can distinguish between different services.

3. Authy

If you want to sync codes on your mobile and computer, tryAuthy. You can use it independently on your computer, but it asks for your phone details when registering. If you have Authy on your phone, you can quickly sync your data between the two devices.

On the PC version of Authy, click the plus icon in the upper right corner.

Paste the secret key in the box.

You can name and color the account. Once set up, you will have a working Google code.

4. Two-factor authentication

Two-Factor AuthenticationCurrently only supports Google, Microsoft, LastPass, and Facebook accounts, but works fine as Google authentication on PC. Start by hitting the “+” icon at the bottom to add a new account.

Enter an account name, such as Google, and then enter your secret key. You can also use the camera icon to scan the QR code if available. It worked better than the WinOTP Authenticator, but not perfect.

5. GAuth Authenticator

If you want something in your browser, you can try GAuth Authenticator. You can install it asa Chrome ExtensionorWeb App.

Adding your authentication token to GAuth is easy. First, click on the pencil in the upper-right corner and then click on Add.

Enter the name of the authentication code (in this case, Google) and the secret key.

Once done, you will have a working authentication token.

Now that you know how to use the Google Authenticator PC application on your Windows PC, also check out the best Linux PC authentication apps and basic settings to protect your Google account.

If you want to play more games on Windows 10, you can check out some of the Easter eggs and secrets in Windows 10 or the things to do before and after installing Windows 10. Google Authenticator PC