You'll get a QR code or setup key. Next, open the Google Authenticator app and tap the plus sign. Record the 2FA code/key. Whenever you're asked for the 2FA code, open Google Authenticator to find it.

If Authenticator let you encrypt the keys before backing them up, you wouldn’t have to trust Google at all. Or mostly not. Trusting TOTP Authenticator apps are a strange bargain.

Thankfully, there are other versions of 2FA that are more secure. App-based 2FA codes, for example, are fairly reliable. So are hardware 2FA keys, like Google’s Titan security key, which plugs into ...

Google Authenticator first launched in 2010, and the app—which stores and generates two-factor authentication (2FA) codes—lacked backups and multi-device support for years.