Lodestone Update re software tokens and authenticators

https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...367a8e7d43d18d

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Currently, three types of One-Time Passwords are available to use for Square Enix accounts: Software Authenticator Apps, Square Enix Security Tokens (key ring type), and Square Enix Software Tokens. The Square Enix Software Token application for smartphones is scheduled to be discontinued in 2024 or later.

As a preliminary first step, new registrations for Square Enix Software Tokens will close on Tuesday, November 21st, 2023. Implementation of the closure for new registrations will be on Tuesday, November 21st, 2023, from 05:00 to 07:00 (GMT) / 06:00 to 08:00 (BST) / 15:00 to 17:00 (AEST)

After the period for new registrations has ended, you will no longer be able to select the "Software Token (smartphone application)" option when setting a One-Time Password in the Square Enix Account Management System. Please use either a Software Authenticator or Square Enix Security Token (key ring type).

・How to Activate a Software Authenticator
https://sqex.to/cS7bC

Customers who are using a Square Enix Software Token at the time new registrations are closed will be able to continue using it until the end of the service, but please consider switching to an authenticator app or Square Enix Security Token The exact date for the end of service will be announced as soon as it is determined.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

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I am totally confused here.

The authenticator app and this software token are the same thing, and the keyring authenticator only sells from the NA store that wont accept addresses outside the US

How do i get this keyring since Aus gets sales from the EU version???

Anyone?

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Originally Posted by VelKallor

The authenticator app and this software token are the same thing

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They are not. You will find the software token on the app store as SQUARE ENIX Software Token. The term "authenticator app" refers to third party authenticators like Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator.

Okay Ill take a look. Thanks.

I got the google authenticator but now it wants a key. No idea where I get THAT from.

Edit: never mind Ill do this later when the token cant be used anymore.

They are basically saying that they are ending support for their specific software token (https://play.google.com/store/search...hl=en_US&gl=US) so going forward if you want to use two factor on your phone you have to use a third party app like google or microsoft.

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Originally Posted by VelKallor

Okay Ill take a look. Thanks.

I got the google authenticator but now it wants a key. No idea where I get THAT from.

Edit: never mind Ill do this later when the token cant be used anymore.

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The key is given to you when you're setting up the authenticator, but that's only needed if you're doing it manually. Just scan the QR code and it should auto add it to your google auth app.

But why? Their own authentication software has worked flawlessly since I put it on my phone almost a decade ago. What advantage does relying on third party software from Google or MS give SE? One would think they’d rather have the main way of accessing their game under their own control.

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Originally Posted by DiscordiaEris

But why? Their own authentication software has worked flawlessly since I put it on my phone almost a decade ago. What advantage does relying on third party software from Google or MS give SE? One would think they’d rather have the main way of accessing their game under their own control.

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The authenticator is 3rd party software, just SE branded. And it has known issues of desyncing and being problematic for many.

More problems than Google and MS?

Just checked the App Store, and yeah the SE authenticator is an SE product.
Still, why take away a choice that has worked since HW? What advantage does it confer?

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Originally Posted by DiscordiaEris

More problems than Google and MS? Just checked the App Store, and yeah the SE authenticator is an SE product.

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It's maintained by a 3rd party. It's SE branded. They don't maintain it themselves. Probably why it's going away, contract is up.



And yes, way more problems than Google or ms. Change your phone? Have to remove and read the authenticator to your account. Dual Sims? It breaks.

Changed my phone three times, never an issue Never even had to uncouple the account to do it. Why would the App Store list SE as the developer if some other company developed it?
Not trying to start an argument, just trying to understand what relying on Google on MS gives them? Reduced maintenance cost on a lightweight Rng generator? Is the cost of that software more than the contract to have Google and MS do that work?
It’s baffling.

I had to stop and think about this, but Blizzard used one where it just asked you to confirm the login and it put the OTP in automatically. Thats from memory dont quote me.

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Originally Posted by DiscordiaEris

Changed my phone three times, never an issue Never even had to uncouple the account to do it. Why would the App Store list SE as the developer if some other company developed it?
Not trying to start an argument, just trying to understand what relying on Google on MS gives them? Reduced maintenance cost on a lightweight Rng generator? Is the cost of that software more than the contract to have Google and MS do that work?
It’s baffling.

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Because SE published it on the app store. That just means they presented it to the store, not that they developed it.



And why pay for a company to maintain one when there are a dozen open source or free otp apps?

I was able to buy the physical tokens from the US and have them shipped to Europe. Then when they let you use the phone authenticator (microsoft or google), I switched to that.

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Originally Posted by DiscordiaEris

Changed my phone three times, never an issue Never even had to uncouple the account to do it. Why would the App Store list SE as the developer if some other company developed it?
Not trying to start an argument, just trying to understand what relying on Google on MS gives them? Reduced maintenance cost on a lightweight Rng generator? Is the cost of that software more than the contract to have Google and MS do that work?
It’s baffling.

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Firstly, cost effectiveness. No matter how small the running cost may be, maintaining the authenticator app will still cost some $$$. It's a common industry tactic to just use other people's solutions if they're available. I'd also argue Google & MS's authenticator apps are simply better built, considering they're way more wide-used than an app built for a single game. Doesn't really matter whether your own personal experience has been good, I've heard plenty of issues arise from Square's app.

Secondly, ability to sly by any issues. If something ever happened to the SE app like data got leaked or something, they'd be baring the effective full brunt of it. Whereas if the Google or Microsoft authenticators got hacked/data leaked/etc, Square would be taking an immense less amount of flak comparatively due to the easy excuse of 'blame them, its their app.'

Thirdly, as Valkryie mentioned, just because Square has their name listed as the developer on the app doesn't mean they actually developed it. It's easy to outsource projects to other studios and pay to have them waive crediting / creative rights to the code. This happens all the time at large studios since it's much more cost & time efficient to keep your in-house team working on more important aspects of the software while optional or smaller bits are handled by other teams or smaller outsourced companies built for these kinds of tasks / contracted programmers who specialize in what you're looking for. To use FF14 as it's own example, everything in the mogstation is developed by a separate team that outside of approving projects and discussions between Yoshi-P & "The mogstation Empress" as he's called her, are effectively independent from one another and have no bearing on each other's development pipelines.

More than likely, either Square decided that maintaining their own authenticator in the face of ones built by quite frankly, much more powerful and skilled companies like Google & MS was a waste of money, or their contracts with whatever outsourced company has expired and Square has elected to not continue it for financial or other reasons.

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Originally Posted by DiscordiaEris

What advantage does relying on third party software from Google or MS give SE? One would think they’d rather have the main way of accessing their game under their own control.

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All of these apps implement the exact same thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-b...-time_password

It's why you can already use any number of apps, including ones they don't explicitly mention, to generate the one-time passwords. Aside from branding, there's no secret sauce from SE involved.

That’s a much better explanation. Thank you.

Okay I got it to work.Was VERY careful and got it done. One word. The key here is GET OUT of the app and generate a new OTP each time, I am ingame so I was able to log in successfully. Now all I have to do is get rid of the old SQEX token on my mobile.

The MS one will ask you for a name. Make SURE it is your acct NAME as it appears on the launcher. They are also case sensitive so yeah...be careful. I need a new mobile or smaller fingers ;););)

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or their contracts with whatever outsourced company has expired and Square has elected to not continue it for financial or other reasons.

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I think this is why. I may be wrong but its the most logical explanation

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Originally Posted by VelKallor

the keyring authenticator only sells from the NA store that wont accept addresses outside the US

How do i get this keyring since Aus gets sales from the EU version???

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I got the keyring and I live in Europe. The store has an EU version if I'm not mistaken. It still got sent from the US and I had to pay a tax. :D

https://eu.store.square-enix-games.com/merchandise

Oh nvm it's gone from the GB/EU stores.

I got the MS auth to work. So Im good for now. I swear, every time I have to mess with that auth system I get nightmares of it screwing up. Thank you for your help :)

To be honest the instructions were awful. The images would not enlarge so it was hard to read them to figure out what I was doing. I got it done eventually but this could have gone much better.

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Originally Posted by Valkyrie_Lenneth

And why pay for a company to maintain one when there are a dozen open source or free otp apps?

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And personally for me I prefer the MS app because it requires authentication before you can get the code. The software token from SE always glitched out on me.