Dashlane on Android: Retrieve SMS Codes with One Click
At Dashlane, we continuously work to bridge the gap between convenience and security, across the full spectrum of operating systems, devices, and browsers. That means building features that operate natively within each operating system, so our customers don't have to do any heavy lifting – just enable the feature and dash online.
In that vein, our newest feature in the Android ecosystem aims to solve one of the biggest discrepancies between privacy and security – multi-factor authentication by text message (SMS).
Refresher: What is multi-factor authentication?
Multi-factor authentication (or two-factor authentication/2FA) is an additional layer of security for your online accounts beyond your password (some websites require it, others give you the option). When you create or log into an account, a user needs to enter a password and a one-time code, sometimes sent via SMS to a mobile device.
The typical SMS authentication process is painfully inconvenient. It involves waiting for an SMS notification, opening your text messaging app, copying (or memorizing) the one-time code, pasting or typing the code into the app you wanted to use, and then you're finally on your way. There has to be something fast and easier, right? With Dashlane, the answer is yes.
Thanks to the newly launched Android OTP Autofill, anyone with Android 8.0 or higher (nearly 90% of Dashlane's Android customers!) can now rely on Dashlane to handle the copying and pasting of that annoying but important one-time code. All you need to do is ensure autofill is enabled on your mobile device.
How does it work?
The best news is that taking advantage of this time-saving feature is a click away. The first time you create a new account or log into an account that requires 2FA on your Android device, you'll see a small popup asking if you want Dashlane to do the rest of the work for you.
Once you have clicked on the form box shown above, Dashlane will directly receive the SMS message containing your one-time codes.
Once you confirm the code by clicking "Autofill," Dashlane will manage this action for you every time in the future.
All of this is possible because Dashlane tries to detect when you need us to help you with an SMS code. We do this by leveraging the Google Play Service, which is installed on all Android devices through the Play Store. However, because this feature relies on Google Play Service, you can rest assured that Dashlane never gets access to your plain text SMS messages directly. Instead, an internal algorithm looks to detect codes within SMS messages, and only forwards the code itself to Dashlane.
What's next for Dashlane on Android?
This feature will start to roll out progressively within the next few weeks, but we aren't stopping here. The Android OTP Autofill functionality is still very new, so there's plenty of room for Dashlane to explore new ways to make our customers' experience online faster and more secure. One of the things we have in mind is how to integrate this OTP feature across a wider range of applications, and if we can connect mobile and desktop, so the one-time code from your phone can be populated as your work online. Stay tuned!
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