Receive Authy verification SMS online

What it is

An authenticator app for two-factor codes

Account

Registered to your phone number

New device

Verified through the number, then approved by an existing device

Backups

Encrypted in the cloud with a password only you know

Desktop apps

Discontinued in 2024; mobile apps remain

2024 incident

Phone numbers linked to Authy accounts were exposed

The phone number is the account

When you install Authy, it asks for your phone number and verifies it by SMS or call. From then on, installing Authy on another device starts with that number. Your encrypted token backups are also retrieved through the account the number identifies.

That design makes moving to a new phone easy. It also means the number is a single point of attack. If someone takes over the number, through a SIM swap or because it was reassigned, they can start setting up Authy on their own device.

People most often use one of our numbers for Authy to:

• Not recommended: an Authy account is tied to its phone number and guards your other accounts

Many apps expect the number you keep. We help with the cases above; we do not help anyone reach an account that is not theirs — see our acceptable use policy.

Why a rented number is the wrong choice

A rented number is, by design, a number that someone else will use later. For most apps that just means you should change the number before the rental ends. For Authy it means the next holder could begin recovering the account that guards your email, bank, exchange and work logins.

The protections below make that much harder. But the whole point of an authenticator is to be the most trustworthy part of your security, and a temporary number undermines that from the start.

The backup password

Authy can back up your tokens to the cloud, encrypted with a password you choose. Twilio does not know it and cannot reset it. Without it, even someone who takes over your number cannot decrypt the tokens. Choose a long, unique password, store it in a password manager or somewhere safe offline, and never share it.

If you forget it, the backups cannot be restored, and you will have to recover each protected account through its own process.

Turn off multi-device after setup

Authy's multi-device setting lets new devices be added to your account. With it on, a new device can be approved from an existing one. Once all your devices are set up, turn multi-device off, so a new installation cannot join the account without you changing the setting first.

The 2024 incident

In 2024 Twilio said attackers had used an unauthenticated endpoint to identify phone numbers linked to Authy accounts. Tokens and backups were not reported as exposed, but the list of numbers made Authy users targets for phishing and SIM-swap attempts. Twilio urged users to update the app and stay alert to texts pretending to be from Authy.

It is a reminder that a number tied to your security is itself sensitive information.

Desktop apps ended

Twilio discontinued the Authy desktop apps in 2024. Users who relied on them had to move to the mobile apps or to another authenticator. If you still have an old desktop installation, do not depend on it. Make sure your tokens are on a phone you control, with backups you can restore.

Authenticators without a phone number

Many authenticators, including those built into password managers and several standalone apps, store codes on your device and offer encrypted export or backup without registering a phone number. Passkeys and hardware security keys go further and remove codes altogether where services support them.

If you move away from Authy, add the new authenticator to each account before removing Authy, and keep recovery codes for every service.

Installing Authy and verifying the number

When the code does not arrive

In order of how often each one is the real cause:

1. You changed your phone number
   Update the number in Authy while you still have access, or contact Authy support.
2. You forgot the backup password
   Backups cannot be decrypted without it. Recover each service through its own process.
3. Authy says a new device was added
   If it was not you, remove the device, disable multi-device and secure your phone number.
4. A text claims to be from Authy asking you to act
   Treat it as phishing, especially since the 2024 incident.
5. The desktop app stopped working
   It was discontinued. Use the mobile app or another authenticator.

Working out which case you are in

1. Is the number yours for years? Yes Authy can work for you. No Choose an authenticator that does not need a number.
2. Is a strong backup password set? Yes Good. No Set one now.
3. Is multi-device still on? Yes Turn it off after setup. No Good.
4. Did a device appear that is not yours? Yes Remove it and secure your number. No Carry on.

Before you request another code

• Register with your own long-term number
• Set and store a strong backup password
• Turn off multi-device after setup
• Add a carrier PIN against SIM swaps
• Keep recovery codes for each service
• Ignore texts claiming to be Authy

Which kind of number to use

Checked 2026-09-28 by the FreeSmsOtp team. Prices, stock and delivery figures on this page are live and come from our own orders — how we measure.

Countries with Authy numbers now

Refreshed every hour. How we measure delivery.

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Questions