Aegis Authenticator Review

Aegis Authenticator is a simple app for multi-factor authentication, with a host of helpful options to secure and speed up your workflow. It doesn’t report any data collection on Android phones, and we found it easy to import and export our tokens to and from other authentication apps. The only real drawback is limited availability—the app only runs on Android devices, so there’s no support for iPhone or other Apple products. That’s why Aegis Authenticator is an Editors’ Choice winner for Android devices. 2FAS is our other Editors’ Choice in the category because it’s private, extremely easy to use, works on Android and iOS devices, and has browser extensions for desktop authentication.

Getting Started With Aegis Authenticator

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As we noted earlier, Aegis is only for Android devices. No desktop, iOS, or wearable versions are available. The only app we’ve reviewed with watchOS compatibility is Authy.

We tested Aegis using a Samsung Galaxy A71 5G running Android 13. We like that the app asks you to create a password or use biometrics, such as a face or fingerprint scan, to unlock your token vault. It’s an extra layer of protection that can keep your vault from being accessed without your consent. After setting a password, you can navigate to the Settings menu and set up a separate password for decrypting backups and exports. That way, even if someone has the password to your token vault, they still can’t access your data.

Signup Requirements

The app does not offer options to create or sign up for an account, which is ideal. Generating tokens isn’t a data-hungry process, so we like apps in this category that don’t require email addresses, phone numbers, or other information just to use.

Data Collection Policies

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According to the Google Play listing for Aegis Authenticator, the app does not collect any data. The app’s privacy policy is just three sentences long and states that it only requires camera access to scan QR codes, which appears to be accurate. This is a refreshing change, as it’s not unusual for authenticator apps to collect location or diagnostic data, as we’ve seen from Microsoft Authenticator. Similarly, Google Authenticator requests data from eight different app categories, including your Contacts list, photos, and videos.

Hands On With Aegis Authenticator

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The app’s default interface has a black, gray, and white layout with easy-to-navigate menus. Screenshots are disabled by default, a helpful feature we’ve also seen in 2FAS. As you peruse the menus, the Appearance section allows you to adjust the color scheme to your liking. We changed ours to match the test phone’s background and color settings.

In the Behavior section of the Settings menu, you can change how you interact with the tokens the app generates. To test this, we activated a setting to immediately minimize the app after copying a token. That way the numbers are visible for the least amount of time, shoulder surfers don’t get a chance to read your codes, and you don’t have to remember to close the app window on your phone. This setting worked well throughout our testing. You can also customize the order of your tokens from the app’s dashboard, and long-pressing on a token allows you to edit or delete its name.

(Credit: Beem Development/PCMag)

Creating a new token is as easy as scanning a QR code or image, or manually entering a code to connect the app with your online account. We enabled multi-factor authentication on the X account we use for testing and were able to log in using the code generated by Aegis successfully. To view your login history on the app, visit the Security menu and view the Audit Log.

We also like that you can quickly delete your tokens if you think they’re in danger. A setting in the vault allows you to use Ripple, a panic button trigger from the Guardian Project, to delete your token vault instantly.

Backing Up Account Info

With Aegis Authenticator, you can create an auto-backup schedule or set reminders to save your data to Android Cloud or external storage. It’s a good idea to back up your data so you can still log in to your accounts with a new phone if your old one is lost or stolen. Visit the Settings menu to explore those options.

Token Exporting and Importing

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In an unusual but welcome move, Aegis can import token lists saved by other apps as plain text files. It can process special files from 17 competing apps, including 2FAS, Authy, Battle.net Authenticator, and Steam. You can also import tokens directly from another app if you have it installed and are willing to give Aegis Authenticator root access, which involves a bit of trust on your part. We recommend sticking with the file import option, which worked well during our tests.

You can also export your token list to use it in another app. We successfully imported our Aegis list to Google Authenticator, for example. We also like that you can long-press on a token in your vault and generate a QR code to transfer the individual account token to a different authenticator app. Only 2FAS allows for easy exports and imports like Aegis, the rest of the apps we’ve reviewed either don’t allow token transfers, or the process is import-only.

Verdict: Aegis Authenticator Is Excellent for Android

Aegis Authenticator shows a real commitment to data privacy. It doesn’t collect data from the people who use the app, and it offers extra layers of token protection by urging you to keep your data behind a biometric lock or a password. We appreciate the app’s helpful appearance and behavior customization settings, and we like that the app can import and export tokens to and from other authentication apps. We wish there were apps for iOS devices and wearables, but that doesn’t prevent Aegis from earning our Editors’ Choice award for Android devices. 2FAS is another Editors’ Choice winner because it works on Android and iOS and provides browser extensions for desktops.

About Kim Key

Senior Security Analyst

I review privacy tools like hardware security keys, password managers, private messaging apps and ad-blocking software. I also report on online scams and offer advice to families and individuals about staying safe on the internet. Before joining PCMag, I wrote about tech and video games for CNN, Fanbyte, Mashable, The New York Times, and TechRadar. I also worked at CNN International, where I did field producing and reporting on sports that are popular with worldwide audiences.

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