AuthentiCat

About

About AuthentiCat

AuthentiCat is a two-factor authenticator that feels like part of macOS. There's no window to clutter your desktop and no icon in your Dock. It sits quietly in the menu bar, stays out of your way, but is right there when you need it. Bring your Google Authenticator accounts over in one scan, and it just works.

It's made by one developer at SomeMonkeys, a small studio in Adelaide, South Australia.

What AuthentiCat does

Keeps your 2FA codes in the menu bar

Click the cat in your menu bar to see your accounts and the current codes. Click an account, and the code is on your clipboard ready to paste.

Imports Google Authenticator in one scan

Export your accounts from Google Authenticator on your phone and hold the QR code up to your Mac's camera. Large exports that span several QR codes are handled too. Your phone keeps its copy.

Adds any site that uses 2FA codes

AuthentiCat works with any service that uses standard time-based codes (TOTP). Scan a setup QR code with your camera or straight off your screen, or type in the setup key.

Lets you take your accounts with you

Export your accounts as QR codes that Google Authenticator and most other authenticator apps can scan, or save a password-protected backup file that restores on another Mac. No cloud involved.

What makes AuthentiCat different

Feels like part of macOS

An app built for MacOS should feel like it belongs. Other authenticators clutter your desktop with another window, sit in your Dock and add one more thing to manage. AuthentiCat is unobtrusive. It lives in the menu bar along with native MacOS items like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It's built with Apple's own frameworks, and follows your light or dark mode. Click the cat, copy a code, and get on with your work.

You buy once

AuthentiCat is a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store. There's no subscription and no trial that turns into a charge. By comparison, other authenticator apps charge you weekly and annual subscriptions.

Moves your whole Google Authenticator library at once

Setting up every account again is the biggest barrier to switching authenticators. AuthentiCat reads Google Authenticator's own export QR codes. Just scan the QR code, and you're done.

Nothing leaves your Mac

There's no account, no server and no networking code in the app. Your secrets are stored in your macOS Keychain and never pass through anyone else's cloud. When you need your accounts on another device, simply export them as QR codes, or save a password-protected backup file wherever you choose. The only copies of your secrets are the ones you create.

Keeps your second factor apart from your passwords

Many password managers can also store 2FA codes. But they keep the code with the password and sync both to every device, so anyone who gets into your account has both factors. AuthentiCat keeps your second factor separate and on your Mac.

Who uses AuthentiCat

The person behind AuthentiCat

Chris

Chris

I'm an independent developer from Adelaide, South Australia.

I got tired of reaching for my phone every time I needed to sign in to a site. The other apps I tried either opened yet another window, wanted a monthly (or even weekly!!) subscription, or made me set up every account from scratch. So I built the one I wanted. It lives quietly in the menu bar, imports my existing accounts from Google Authenticator in one scan, and feels like it came with the Mac. It's a one-time purchase, because an app with no servers shouldn't need a subscription.

AuthentiCat is made at SomeMonkeys, my small app studio. Say hello at [email protected].

How support works

Most questions are answered on the support page.

Email [email protected] and you'll get a reply from me, the person who wrote the app. No help desk, no AI reply bots.

Updates arrive through the Mac App Store. There's no account to create and nothing to sign in to, so there's no onboarding beyond opening the app and scanning your export.

If something goes wrong with an import, AuthentiCat shows a short error code. Check the meaning on the support page, or include that code in an email to me. It never contains your account names or secrets.

Key facts

Product
AuthentiCat: Menu Bar 2FA
Type
macOS menu bar authenticator for two-factor (TOTP) codes
Interface
Menu bar only, with no window or Dock icon. Built with SwiftUI and AppKit; follows light and dark mode
Developer
Chris, independent developer
Studio
SomeMonkeys (somemonkeys.com)
Based in
Adelaide, South Australia
Released
Coming soon
Website
authenticatapp.com
Platform
macOS 14 Sonoma or later
Where to get it
Mac App Store (coming soon)
Price
One-time purchase. No subscription.
Account required
No
Data storage
macOS Keychain on your Mac. Not synced.
Network access
None. The app contains no networking code.
Analytics
None
Imports
Google Authenticator export QR codes (camera, screen or image), standard setup QR codes, setup keys
Exports
QR codes in Google Authenticator's export format or one per account; password-protected backup file; optional plain list of otpauth:// links
Code types
Time-based codes (TOTP): SHA-1, SHA-256 or SHA-512, 6 or 8 digits. Counter-based (HOTP) codes aren't supported.
Support
Support page and email, [email protected]

Frequently asked questions

Who makes AuthentiCat?

It's made by Chris at SomeMonkeys, a small independent developer in Adelaide, South Australia. There's no large company or investors behind it, just one person who simply likes apps that work.

Will AuthentiCat keep being updated?

Yes. I use it every day, and updates for new macOS versions arrive through the Mac App Store.

What happens if you stop working on it?

AuthentiCat doesn't depend on any server, so there's nothing for me to switch off. It keeps generating codes on your Mac, and you can export your accounts securely at any time.

How do I get help?

Email [email protected]. You'll hear back from me directly, not a help desk or an AI reply bot.

Get notified when AuthentiCat launches