Stratum only works on Android devices, including Wear OS devices. It’s the only authenticator app I’ve reviewed that supports Wear OS. Competitor Authy supports Apple’s watchOS.
(Credit: Stratum/PCMag)
I tested the Stratum app using a Samsung Galaxy A71 5G. Before you import your tokens or scan new ones, check out Stratum’s guides for a helpful introduction to its features.
As you get familiar with the app’s interface, head over to the Settings menu to set up a password for the app. Like Aegis Authenticator, you can encrypt your tokens by locking the app each time you close it. While in the Setting menu, check out Stratum’s privacy-enhancing token behavior options. Of particular interest is the Skip to Next function, which automatically skips to a new token code if one is close to expiration. Enabling the Tap to Reveal Codes setting lets you hide your account codes and choose how long they remain visible. Aegis Authenticator has a setting that immediately minimizes the app after you copy a code.
(Credit: Stratum/PCMag)
When you’re ready to import your old account tokens from another authenticator app, Stratum makes it easy. Like Aegis Authenticator, Stratum can import tokens from other apps, including 2FAS, Aegis, Authy, Blizzard Authenticator, Google Authenticator, Steam, and plain text files.
Signup Requirements and Data Collection Policies
Authenticator apps are simple OTP code generators that should not require much, if any, data from you or your device. That’s why I think it’s a note in Stratum’s favor that there are no options to create or sign up for an account in the app.
According to the Google Play listing for Stratum, the app does not collect any data. On the app’s GitHub project, the developers state that the app requires camera permissions to scan QR codes. In contrast, Microsoft Authenticator collects location data, and Google’s authenticator app requests data from 6 different app categories, including your Contacts list, photos, and phone number.
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As mentioned above, Stratum is a free, open-source project on GitHub, and an online community maintains the code. That means there’s no big company or support team behind the app. Similarly, there’s no privacy policy to peruse here, and there’s also little recourse if something happens to your account tokens (though that’s a risk with any authenticator app).
