Authy Desktop Is Discontinued: The Best Desktop 2FA Alternatives in 2026

In March 2024, Twilio shut down the Authy desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. If you relied on Authy to type 2FA codes on your computer, you were pointed back to a phone — exactly the workflow desktop users adopted Authy to escape. Two years on, people are still searching for a replacement that actually lives on the desktop.

This guide covers what happened, what to look for in a replacement, and the realistic desktop 2FA options in 2026 — including how to migrate your codes out.

What happened to Authy Desktop?

Twilio announced the end-of-life for Authy's desktop apps in January 2024 and enforced it that March: the apps stopped working and users were told to move to the iOS or Android app. The mobile apps continue, but there is no official way to read your Authy codes on a computer anymore. Combined with Authy's phone-number-based account model — a design that has drawn criticism because phone numbers can be hijacked via SIM-swapping — many users took it as the moment to move their 2FA somewhere they control.

What actually matters in a desktop 2FA app

• Runs where you work. If your logins happen in a browser, the authenticator should be in the browser — not another window, and not your pocket.
• Encrypted backup you own. Losing a device must not mean losing accounts, but backup should be end-to-end encrypted so the provider can't read your secrets.
• Standard TOTP, easy export. Your codes should be portable — you're choosing a tool, not a landlord.
• No phone-number identity. A phone number is the weakest link in most account takeovers.

The desktop 2FA options in 2026

1. OTPSync — 2FA as a Chrome extension

OTPSync takes the position that desktop 2FA belongs inside the browser. The free tier covers a single device with a zero-knowledge encrypted vault; a one-time $15 upgrade adds unlimited devices and secrets. The relevant capabilities:

• Right-click autofill — fill the OTP field on the page without opening a popup or copy-pasting.
• Dual encrypted backup — to your own Google Drive and/or OTPSync Cloud; either way the vault is encrypted client-side first (AES-256-GCM, PBKDF2-derived keys).
• One-click migration — decodes Google Authenticator's export QR codes natively, so moving in takes minutes.
• No phone number required — the account is an email login; the encryption passcode never leaves your machine.

The honest limitation: it lives in Chromium browsers. If you need codes outside a browser entirely, pair it with (or choose) a native app below.

2. Ente Auth — open-source, cross-platform

A well-regarded open-source authenticator with apps for desktop and mobile plus encrypted sync. A strong choice if you want a standalone native app and value source availability. No browser autofill, so desktop logins still mean switching windows and copying codes.

3. 2FAS — popular free mobile app with a browser bridge

2FAS keeps secrets on your phone and pairs a browser extension that requests codes from the phone. Privacy model is good; the trade-off is that the phone stays in the loop for every desktop login.

4. KeePassXC — TOTP inside a password manager

If you already run KeePassXC, it can store TOTP seeds alongside passwords. Full local control, at the cost of doing your own database/backup discipline — and security purists note that storing both factors in one vault weakens the "two" in two-factor.

5. Microsoft Authenticator / Google Authenticator

Both remain phone-only. Google Authenticator now syncs through your Google Account, but that sync is not end-to-end encrypted by default — Google can technically access the seeds. Neither answers the desktop question at all.

How to migrate off Authy

Authy has never offered an official export. In practice you have two clean paths:

1. Re-enroll each account (recommended). Sign in to each service, open its security settings, and set up the authenticator again — scanning the new QR code with your new app. Tedious for many accounts, but it also lets you audit what you actually still use, and it invalidates the old seeds.
2. Move from another source. If your accounts also live in Google Authenticator, use its Transfer accounts → Export flow and import the QR codes directly — the full walkthrough is in our Google Authenticator transfer guide.

Bottom line

Authy Desktop's shutdown was a reminder that a discontinued client can strand your workflow overnight. In 2026, the strongest desktop replacements are a browser-native authenticator like OTPSync if your logins happen in Chrome, or an open-source native app like Ente Auth if they don't. Compare the trade-offs in detail in Google Authenticator vs Authy vs OTPSync.