Hi. A couple of quick questions.
Thanks.
Hi,
I’m not sure on this one - I use Chrome on my work computer and the add login button is there at the top right for me. I would maybe suggest removing and re-adding the Bitwarden extension to see if that helps.
Yes, it works exactly the same as Authy, Google Authenticator, etc. I would recommend using it alongside Authy, so if either service is unavailable for any reason, you can still access your TOTP codes.
Thanks. The button is back there today. Seems very temperamental.
You say the Bitwarden 2FA works exactly the same as Authy. Bitwarden’s documentation says, “it will automatically copy the verification code to your clipboard for easy pasting.” Is that the same as Authy?
Thanks.
Hello, I believe when it is said
It was meant that Bitwarden authenticator will work similarly to these services to generate 2FA codes.
Specifically the type of 2FA used by these are known as TOTP which uses a standard mathematical formula to take the current local time + some secret key to create the TOTP 2FA code, typically 6 digits.
This secret would be the QR code, or key if you are unable to scan the QR code, provided by the website or service when enabling 2FA. You can scan the QR code into Bitwarden, and another service like Authy or Google Authenticator, etc. At the same time and both should provide the same TOTP 2FA code.
You can even save the QR code secret in a safe place, (Bitwarden attachments are a great place if you are a premium member) and keep it stored safely for later use or as a backup.
Services like Authy back up these 2FA codes for you (if you chose to use this backup service) but does make it difficult to move your 2FA codes to another authenticator if you wanted to switch.
Bitwarden syncs your 2FA codes across devices, similar to Authy in this regard but as you mentioned can also automatically copy the 2FA code into your clipboard for easy pasting, which is something I do not believe Authy does.
Bitwarden also provides easy access and view of the original 2FA secret, should you ever want to have this information backed up yourself or move to another service. This is honestly something that I really respect about Bitwarden in that they believe your data should be yours and have made it very easy to export and save your own data, and not be vendor locked in.
Anyone in the enterprise space knows the dread of Vendor lock in. If you want to keep me as a customer make sure you have a good product, don’t hold my information hostage.
I personally do still use a mix of services in the case one may be having a service issue, etc.
Hopefully that is informational
Thanks so much for your help. Could you please explain how you use two different authenticators? Can both be used at the same time or do I have to turn one off? Maybe I just don’t understand how this works.
When you enable 2FA login on a website, i.e GitHub which supports TOTP 2FA you will be provided the QR code.
This QR code can be scanned into both Authy, and in the Bitwarden mobile app at the time of enabling 2FA for this account. (If unable to scan the QR code into the Bitwarden mobile app, you can typically select an option on the website “Can’t scan QR” and you will instead be given a long random code, which is the TOTP secret you will want to enter into your Authenticator or Bitwarden TOTP field)
After the QR code is scanned into both authenticators you should see the same 2FA code being generated by Authy and Bitwarden.
If the codes are not the same, then there may be a mismatch on the timezones.
Once you know the codes are in both authenticators, you can continue on the website and you will typically be promoted to confirm the 2FA code you are given by the authenticator to fully enable and save this for your account.
As mentioned it may also be advisable to save a copy of the QR code somewhere safe, that way it can be scanned into another authenticator if needed.
Otherwise you will need to login to each account, disable 2FA and then enable 2FA again with a new QR code.
But as mentioned Bitwarden does provide you with a way to get this data easily too.
Thank you! I think that answers all my questions, for now 