Hi all,
I’m not sure to be in the right place to ask about it. Maybe I’ll have to change tags. But I was wondering if any of you could give me advices or indication in my plan to get out of android. I only use my phone for text message and phone call, but also “Authenticators” (for those 2 step security random code). So my main question is : Is there an alternative mobile OS on wich I can have my authenticators (I got 8 of them on my phone) ?
I have an authenticator (providing MFA for various accounts) which works fine on an /e/ OS based FP2. It works fine.
Maybe it helps to know which authenticator you want to use.
Or you can have a look at https://community.e.foundation/t/editable-list-of-apps-that-work-or-do-not-work-with-microg/21151 if your (authenticator) apps are listed.
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Do you want to get out of google and its services, or completely out of android?
Because, as @Volker mentioned, /e/ OS is a good option to remove google, as /e/ is a custom ROM based on android (the open source part), where the most possible of google was removed and replaced with open source alternatives, or as well LineageOS, which is not as much degoogled as /e/ but more used and also android without google (
very simplified explanation), and perhaps you considered Fairphone Open OS, which is Fairphone OS without the google part. Though I don’t use authenticators, so I can’t tell you if they work with these OSes.
But to get out of android, you’ll have to install another OS like Sailfish or Ubuntu touch, which aren’t based on android. But then some things that you are looking for or to which you were used to on android may not work the same or not anymore.
Oh, and welcome to the Fairphone forum 
Edit: Corrected a sentence
I recategorized it in #discuss:fairphone-2, it’s now in the right place 
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Thank you for the answers.
@Volker I’m using : “microsoft app Authenticator” (with microsoft, discord , guild war2 and dungeon fighter online 2 factors on it) ; Square Enix Token ; Steam and Battle.net Autenticator.
It’s just one more step in the right direction for me. I just want to keep my accounts safe while transitionning to a more ethical use of my phone. I don’t see them in the list you gave tho (>_<).
@Alex.A I think just departed a bit from google would be nice. If there is security alternative to those Authenticators I’d be happy to make the big leap to a more free OS like sailfish or Ubuntu. I allready change my laptop os for Ubuntu and I really like the support from the community. So it would probably be the OS I’d go for if I could.
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I’m also using Microsoft authenticator app with 3 accounts and it works fine on /e/ OS (and I assume that it would also work with all other accounts available for this app).
Can’t say anything regarding the other authenticator apps you’ve mentioned.
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I think /e/OS is rather what you are looking for. It has microG intergrated, which is an open source mimic of some google services, so it allows to use some apps that need google to work while having a degoogled OS. It is also more complete than LineageOS, that comes a bit barebones (but if that suits you, it’s great) and than Open OS, and is also further degoogled. And the main functional part of android is open source, the problem is what google does with it 
Also, Ubuntu Touch is not very stable, and although I haven’t tested it myself, I have read on the forum it wasn’t really good enough for everyday use. I agree Ubuntu works quite well on computers (well, even that’s a debate, I prefer Debian), but this doesn’t mean it works as well on smartphones. Sailfish I can’t tell, but running android apps on it is also a bit complicated, and your authenticators probably won’t work. Hopefully they all will on /e/.
Edit: Typo
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Hello, I’ve been using the andOTP authenticator app on LineageOS on my Fairphone2 for over two years. The app is compatible with a bunch of 2FA codes for services I use, and it let’s one easily export an encrypted password-protected backup of the authentication secrets, making it relatively easy to move the auth codes to another phone (to have a backup).
Regarding leaving Android, as others have said, /e/ is based on the Android open source project and degooglified, as is LineageOS. I used Sailfish OS on a Jolla phone for three years before my Fairphone. I really likes Sailfish, and they definitely had a few native 2FA authenticator apps. I can’t speak to using Sailfish on a Fairphone, though I know some folks run it.
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Thank you all so much. World would be so much better if majority of people could share as kindly as you. Curently backing up my phone to make the change to /e/. Wich me luck (^^) Hope I won’t turn my phone into an “unrecoverable brick” (^^")
EDIT: Done and everything work fine for now (^^) I got my authenticators and i’m happy (^^) tanks again everyone. I’m on my way to new adventures with my Fairphone on /e/ . Love for you all, keep sharing. XoXo
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Hello!
For ubuntu Touch there are open-source 2-Factor Authenticator, but it will not work for the proprietary ones like Microsoft…
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