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Your First Launch

The first time you open Private Authenticator you'll see three things in a row: the lock screen, one question about syncing, and a welcome screen with three ways to begin. Here is what each one means.

1. The lock screen

The app opens on a navy screen with its logo, and Face ID or Touch ID asks you to confirm it's you. This happens every time you open the app, and every time you come back to it, because Require Face ID / Touch ID at Launch is on to start with. You can turn that off later in Settings if you prefer, but every individual code still needs Face ID or Touch ID whatever you choose.

If Face ID doesn't recognise you, the screen waits. Tap Unlock to try again.

[Screenshot: the lock screen with the logo and the Unlock button]

2. The sync question

Next comes a page headed Sync Your Accounts?. It explains a choice you make once, then offers two answers at the bottom:

  • Sync via iCloud Keychain (recommended). Your accounts are also stored in Apple's iCloud Keychain, which Apple encrypts end to end. That means they appear automatically in Private Authenticator on any other iPhone signed into your Apple ID with iCloud Keychain turned on, and they come back on a new iPhone. Pebble IT still never sees them; iCloud Keychain is Apple's system, and only your Apple ID can unlock it.
  • Keep on This Device Only. Your accounts stay in this iPhone's secure storage and are never copied anywhere by themselves. If this iPhone is lost, only a backup you made earlier can bring them back.

Either way, Face ID or Touch ID is needed before any code is shown, backups work the same, and an Apple Watch gets its codes through the app's own Device Sync, never through iCloud.

Why it asks now

Each account is stored the way you chose when it was added, so the choice can only be made while your list is empty. If you ever want to change it, delete all accounts on the Info page (after backing up!) and the app asks again. Syncing Between Your iPhones has the full story.

This page can't be swiped away. Tap one of the two answers to continue.

[Screenshot: the sync question page with its four points and the two buttons at the bottom]

3. The welcome screen

The welcome screen offers three ways to get going. Each button opens the right screen straight away:

  • Bring accounts from another app. Coming from Google Authenticator, Aegis or another authenticator app? This opens the Import screen. See Importing from Google Authenticator.
  • Restore a backup. Have Private Authenticator backup images and their recovery key from another iPhone? This opens Recovery Backup. See Restoring a Backup.
  • Scan your first account. Starting fresh? This opens the camera. See Adding Your First Account.

Tap Look Around First to close the welcome and explore instead. The Recent tab shows "No accounts yet" until you add one, and the welcome comes back the next time you open the app with an empty list, so you can't miss it.

[Screenshot: the welcome screen with its three buttons and Look Around First]

What you'll see afterwards

The app has three tabs along the bottom: Recent (your accounts, the one you used last at the top), Tags (your accounts sorted into groups you choose) and Info (settings, backups, help and the app's details). The orange + at the top right adds an account, and the logo at the top left opens a menu with everything else.

Continue to Adding Your First Account.