Twilio is killing off the Authy desktop app, but Mac users have a work-around

Twilio, the maker of two-factor authentication app Authy, will be discontinuing its native desktop apps for all platforms in August, forcing users to switch over to its mobile version — but Mac users have a work-around.

Two-factor authentication apps that can work with multiple services are an essential part of online life, but one will be limiting the options of its users. Twilio, the company behind Authy, says it will be streamlining its focus to its mobile apps, at the expense of its desktop versions.

In a support document first reported by Bleeping Computer, the End of Life for Authy for Desktop is set for August 2024. This includes the desktop apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

"We made this difficult decision to sunset the Twilio Authy desktop apps in order to streamline our focus and provide more value on existing product solutions for which we see increasing demand," the page states.

Instead, Authy users are recommended to switch to its mobile apps, including its iOS version. Though the macOS app won't be usable from August, the page does add that the iOS app will still be downloadable and work on Apple Silicon Macs.

For users who want to shift to other apps, Twilio warns that the Authy app doesn't have an export feature, so users will have to disable then re-enable 2FA and re-add the token to their new application. However, it is advised that users do not delete their tokens stored on Authy before setting up their new app, due to the chance of being locked out of accounts.

If users switch to the mobile edition, they can take advantage of the Authy backup feature to automatically synchronize tokens between apps.

The sunsetting of apps is announced on the same day as co-founder Jeff Lawson steps down from the role of CEO and from the Twilio Board of Directors. He is replaced by Jeff Epstein as Chair, and Khozema Shipchandler as CEO.