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Since Google Authenticator only supports mobile platforms, including Android and iOS, users cannot use the app on desktop platforms.
However, developers can utilize the Google Authenticator development algorithm to create apps that generate one-time passwords similar to Google Authenticator but work on any platform. And WinAuth is one of such apps.
Refer to the following Mytour article to learn how to utilize Google Authenticator on Windows computers via WinAuth.
- Download Google Authenticator for Android
- Download Google Authenticator for iPhone
Using Google Authenticator on Windows PCs
WinAuth is an open-source, straightforward application that doesn't require installation, supporting 2-step authentication apps like Google Authenticator, Microsoft, Battle.net, and more.
To download and install the WinAuth application, simply download WinAuth from this link.
After downloading, proceed to extract the ZIP file and open the application.
To use Google Authenticator within WinAuth, click on the Add button and select the Google option. This action opens the Google Authenticator configuration window. Here, enter the shared key provided by Google to receive TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password).
To obtain the security key, access the Google Account settings page, scroll down to find and activate 2-step verification. Once activated, click on the Switch to app button.
Next, select the Android button and click on Continue. In reality, the choice of option is not important as we are not using mobile devices.
At this point, a barcode will be displayed on the screen which we can scan. Since WinAuth does not support barcode scanning, click on Can't scan the barcode to manually enter the secret shared key.
On this window, Google will display the secret key. Use the mouse to select and copy the key.
Next, paste the secret key into the WinAuth window, then click on Verify Authenticator button to generate real-time one-time passwords. Don't forget to add a meaningful name for the account, this helps you distinguish if you have multiple Google Authenticator accounts.
Copy the one-time password and paste it into the Google security settings page, then click on the Verify and Save button to verify the generated code.
If everything is done correctly, Google will display an authentication window to inform you. Click on the OK button to save the changes to your Google account.
The next step is to return to the WinAuth window. After confirming the generated code, click on the OK button to save the changes in the WinAuth application.
Immediately after clicking the OK button, WinAuth will open the Protection window allowing users to set a password to encrypt files stored by the application. This is to prevent unauthorized access.
Enter the password twice, then click on the OK button to save the changes. Additionally, users can set WinAuth to encrypt files that can only be used on the current computer, however, using a password for protection will be much more feasible.
From now on, you can use Google Authenticator on your Windows computer through WinAuth.
This article from Mytour has just guided you on how to use Google Authenticator on Windows computers. Furthermore, if you have any doubts or questions that need clarification, readers can leave their comments in the comment section below the article.
Furthermore, you should also explore how to use Google Drive, a popular cloud storage application with a considerable amount of free storage space. Using Google Drive is also quite simple, and you can read an article about it on Mytour.
