Menu bar authenticator for macOS
Your Google Authenticator codes on your Mac in one scan.
AuthentiCat lives in your menu bar. Click the cat, copy the code, paste it in. Your phone stays on the desk.
Coming soon to the Mac App Store. Buy once. No subscription. No account.
One email when AuthentiCat launches. Unsubscribe any time.
Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Try it: click an account to copy its code, or type to search. (Made-up accounts.)
Import from Google Authenticator
One scan.Every account.
No setting up each site again. Export from your phone, hold it up to your Mac, and your accounts arrive.
- On your phone, open Google Authenticator and choose Transfer accounts, then Export accounts.
- Select the accounts to bring over. Your phone shows a QR code.Big libraries are split across several QR codes. Scan each one and AuthentiCat keeps count.
- In AuthentiCat, choose Import from Google Authenticator and hold your phone up to your Mac's camera.
Your accounts keep working on your phone, so Google Authenticator stays as a backup.
How AuthentiCat works
The cat in your menu bar opens every account at once.
Click an account and its current code is on your clipboard.
Drop it into the login form. Your phone never left the desk.
Prefer the keyboard? Type to search and press Return to copy the top match. Codes are copied without spaces and cleared from your clipboard after 60 seconds.
Made for macOS
Part of your Mac, not another window.
AuthentiCat doesn't open a window, sit in your Dock or ask for attention. It waits quietly in the menu bar and is there the moment a site asks for a code.
No window, no Dock icon
Nothing to find, resize or close. Click the cat and your codes drop down, just like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Looks like it came with your Mac
Built with Apple's own frameworks, using system fonts and controls. It follows light and dark mode and respects Reduce Motion.
Uses what your Mac already has
Secrets live in the macOS Keychain, Touch ID unlocks them, and your Mac's camera does the scanning.
Your secrets stay on your Mac.
Keychain storage
Secrets are kept in your macOS Keychain on this Mac, not in the cloud.
No account
No sign-up, no login, no email address.
No network code
AuthentiCat doesn't connect to the internet. No servers, no sync, no analytics.
Locked when you're away
Unlock with Touch ID or your Mac password. It locks again when your Mac sleeps.
No lock-in
Export as QR codes or an encrypted backup file whenever you like.
Clipboard cleared
Copied codes are wiped from your clipboard after 60 seconds.
Buy once. That's it.
A one-time purchase on the Mac App Store. Price announced at launch.
No subscription
Your 2FA codes shouldn't come with a monthly bill.
No surprise charges
No weekly plan, and no trial that quietly turns into a payment.
No account to manage
Buy it, open it, scan once. That's the whole setup.
Questions
Do I still need my phone?
Only once, to export your accounts from Google Authenticator (here's how). After that, every code is on your Mac.
Does importing remove accounts from Google Authenticator?
No. Exporting copies your accounts, so Google Authenticator keeps working on your phone.
My export shows more than one QR code. What do I do?
Google Authenticator splits large exports across several QR codes. Scan them one after another. AuthentiCat shows how many it has received and imports them together. If an import fails, look up the error code.
Can I add new accounts on my Mac?
Yes. When a site shows you a 2FA setup QR code, scan it with your camera, scan it straight off your screen, or type in the setup key.
I used Authy's desktop app. Can AuthentiCat replace it?
For codes on your Mac, yes. Authy shut down its desktop apps on 19 March 2024. Authy doesn't let you export your accounts, though, so they can't be imported. You'll need to set each one up again from that site's security settings. Moving from Authy, step by step.
Why not Apple Passwords or my password manager?
They can store 2FA codes too, and if that works for you, great. AuthentiCat is for people who want their second factor kept apart from their passwords, so one compromised vault doesn't hold both. It's also the quickest way to move a Google Authenticator library onto your Mac.
Where are my secrets stored?
In your macOS Keychain, on this Mac only. They aren't synced to iCloud or sent anywhere, and AuthentiCat has no servers.
What happens if I lose my Mac?
Getting back up and running is quick. Restore your password-protected backup file on your new Mac and every account is back in a minute. You can also keep a second copy on your phone by exporting your accounts as QR codes into any authenticator app, and keep each site's recovery codes as a last resort.
Can I get my accounts out again?
Yes. Export them as QR codes that Google Authenticator and most other authenticator apps can scan, or save a password-protected backup file that you can restore on any Mac.
Is it a subscription?
AuthentiCat is a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store. There's no account and no recurring charge.
What do I need?
A Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Scanning your phone uses your Mac's camera. If you don't have one, you can import a screenshot of the QR code instead.
Leave your phone where it is.
Coming soon to the Mac App Store · Buy once · macOS 14 or later
One email when AuthentiCat launches. Unsubscribe any time.