The Authenticator extension for Google Chrome is a convenient way to store and generate two-factor authentication (2FA) codes directly in your browser.
When adding an account, the extension provides several options:
- Scan QR Code
- Manual Entry
- Import QR Images
- Import OTP URLs
You can also edit an existing entry after it has been added. For example, you can change its Issuer or Username.
However, there is one thing you cannot do through the normal interface: view the secret key of an existing authenticator entry.
This can become a problem when you want to migrate your accounts to another authenticator application. The secret key is required to add the same TOTP authentication method to another app.
Fortunately, there is a way to retrieve it.
Export a backup
Open the Authenticator extension and go to:
Settings → Backup
Then click:
Download Backup File
The downloaded backup file contains the OTP configuration for your accounts.
Inside the file, you will find entries similar to this:
otpauth://totp/website.com:user?secret=YOUR_SECRET_KEY&issuer=website.comThe value of the secret parameter is the TOTP secret key:
secret=YOUR_SECRET_KEYYou can use this secret key to add the account to another authenticator application.
This method is especially useful when the original website does not provide an easy way to display or regenerate the existing TOTP secret.