2fast

In this day and age, using two-factor authentication methods should be pretty much a necessity. With so many data leaks happening, it's recommended to always be on the lookout for solutions that seek to bolster the security of your accounts.

For those who would rather not input their phone number to receive authentication codes through SMS, another two-factor option lies in utilizing dedicated software to periodically generate codes to grant you access to your accounts. 2fast is such a software application, and it stores your sensitive data locally, instead of on the cloud.

Depending on the route you take, the installation experience can be quite different. Downloading the software from the Microsoft Store is the safest bet if you want an easy, plug-and-play kind of installation. If you download the executable, however, you'll have to unpack the archive, then run the Install.ps1 file with PowerShell. Follow the instructions, and it'll all be over and done with in less than a minute.

The interface is intuitive, all things considered. A result of the practical design is that navigating through the app comes naturally: click to add an account, then see if you have a QR code or a manual key on hand. You'll have to fetch those from the domain where you use your account. Upon choosing to scan a QR code, the tool will open up a scanning window, which it'll use to read the key from the QR.

There's not much beyond that: your accounts will appear on the main interface, and when logging in, you can quickly copy and paste the codes from the app.

How 2fast seeks to differentiate itself from other solutions is in the way it stores your data: the tool forgoes utilizing 3rd party cloud services, instead favoring local storage. Of course, you can always save the datafile to an external cloud service if you so desire.

2fast is a reliable solution for those seeking a two-factor authenticator tool: the functional design makes it very straightforward to use, and its initiative to encrypt and store your datafile locally is an intriguing one.