Faktor is a small app designed specifically for macOS, aimed at solving the pain point of frequently switching devices and manually copying and pasting when entering 2FA (two-factor authentication) codes in Google Chrome. It obtains newly received codes by monitoring iMessage on the Mac, and with the help of a Chrome extension automatically fills them into the current website, providing a smooth autocomplete experience.
Purpose: Faktor's core purpose is to simplify the process of entering 2FA codes. When users encounter a website in the browser that requires a 6-digit code, Faktor can automatically detect and fill in the code from iMessage, with no need to check the phone or enter it manually.
Main capabilities:
- Monitor iMessage on the Mac to capture newly arriving 2FA codes in real time.
- Automatically fill codes into web forms via the Chrome extension.
- Runs completely locally; all text messages never leave the device and are never uploaded to any server.
- Native macOS app, small in size and highly efficient.
- Fully open source; source code can be viewed, issues can be reported, or contributions can be made on GitHub.
- Free to use, with no payment required.
How to use:
- Install the Faktor macOS app and grant it Full Disk Access (used to read the library folder where iMessage is stored) and permission to send notifications.
- Install the companion Google Chrome extension.
- When a new 2FA code is received in iMessage on the Mac, Faktor will detect it and push it to the browser via the extension.
- On a webpage that requires a code, Faktor will automatically fill in the code and complete verification.
Use cases:
- Chrome users who frequently use 2FA verification and want to reduce the distraction of switching between phone and computer.
- Users who want to keep their phone away from the work desk to improve focus.
- Those who use iOS devices to receive SMS codes and work on macOS 13 or later.
- Users of Chromium-based browsers such as Google Chrome, Arc, and Brave.
Limitations:
- Only supports macOS 13 and later, and requires pairing with an iOS device to receive SMS codes.
- Currently verified support is for Google Chrome, Arc, and Brave browsers; other Chromium based browsers may be compatible but are unverified.
- The project does not provide official customer support (the author cannot provide support due to limited time).
- Although the app is free, no paid or premium version information is provided.
- Full Disk Access must be granted, which may raise privacy concerns, but the official statement says all data processing is done locally.
Faktor is developed by Kenneth Auchenberg and is an open source project, with the source code hosted on GitHub.
