Authy Desktop Version Service Ends, Users Forced Logout and Warned

The multi-factor authentication developer Twilio has announced the termination of its Authy desktop version, which previously enabled users to receive verification codes on their PCs for logins. Now, users are required to install Authy on their mobile phones to obtain verification codes.

Starting from August 1, Twilio has implemented the service termination plan. Users who were logged into the Authy desktop version have been forcibly logged out and received a warning that the desktop version is no longer supported.

The discontinuation of the desktop version is due to significant investor pressure Twilio is currently facing. The company's co-founder, Jeff Lawson, was forced to resign from his positions as CEO and board member due to slowed revenue and investor pressure.

Twilio is now focusing its efforts on developing and optimizing the Authy experience for iOS/Android, and the desktop version is no longer a priority, leading to its discontinuation and prohibition for further use.

The pressure from slowed revenue on Authy is entirely understandable. As a third-party multi-factor authenticator, Authy gained a large user base initially because it supported account synchronization data at a time when Google Authenticator did not.

However, with Microsoft launching a synchronized authenticator and Google Authenticator adding support for synchronization, as well as many password managers now offering 2FA synchronization extensions for PCs, Authy's user growth rate has significantly decreased.

Moreover, Authy has faced several security issues, impacting user confidence. After all, a 2FA authenticator is a critical application, and no one wants to use an identity verifier with security risks.