Tell HN: Twilio quietly removes Authy iOS app from Mac App Store, stops updates

11 pointsby jyunwaivor 2 Jahren5 comments

Authy, a software application that provides two-factor authentication codes for logging into online accounts, previously discontinued its desktop app for MacOS and Windows in March 2024. However, Twilio previously kept its iOS app opted in to let users download it onto Mac computers with Apple Silicon. But recently, Twilio has opted out the iOS Authy app from downloads by Mac computers.

If the Authy iOS app has already been installed on a Mac computer, the app continues to work. However, the app is already out-of-date, and users cannot download the app's latest updates from the App Store available for Macs. There is also no notice to users that the app is outdated.

The removal of updates for Mac users means that many Authy iOS users on Mac computers are unaware that they are running out-of-date software, which leaves these users exposed to security vulnerabilities that would be patched for iPad and iPhone users. The security concern is far from abstract and theoretical, as a wide-scale hack of Authy already broke news just a couple months ago in July.

Some discussion, but not much, has taken place on the r/Authy forum:

- https://old.reddit.com/r/Authy/comments/1e67y2g/app_not_available_in_macos_app_store/

- https://old.reddit.com/r/Authy/comments/1feivdl/is_running_the_ipad_on_macos_no_longer_an_option/

6 comments

MarcusE1Wvor 2 Jahren

I can recommend Ente Auth https://ente.io/auth/. I use it for a while now and I have read some positive reviews.

sol2kvor 2 Jahren

This was quite alarming! I thought it meant that Authy is discontinuing their iOS app entirely. Would have been great to mention even more explicitly that this does not impact iOS devices.

As of now, I can still see Authy on my iPhone App Store (last update 3 days ago). Indeed, I am not able to install it from Mac App Store on my desktop/laptop.

In any case, this resulted in my offboarding all my 2FA to a different app. Sorry, Authy and Twillio...

dotcomavor 2 Jahren

No worries, use Tofu

https://www.tofuauth.com/

purple-leafyvor 2 Jahren

Damn so I’m potentially going to be locked out of accounts that require 2 factor auth where I use Authy ?

jaredsohnvor 2 Jahren

My understanding this is about using Authy on Macs rather than on mobile since it talks about the MacOS store.

[deleted]vor 2 Jahren