Replacing SMS OTP with an authenticator app on your exchange accounts in India

In India we are used to OTPs for everything, from bank transfers to food delivery, and that familiarity is exactly what scammers use. A caller pretending to be from a courier, a bank or even an exchange asks you to read out a code, and the account is gone. A SIM swap achieves the same thing without your help. An authenticator app generates codes on your phone itself, with nothing travelling over the mobile network. Moving to it takes about ten minutes per exchange if you do it in the right order.

Prepare before you start

Install a reputable authenticator app from the Play Store or App Store. Have a pen and paper ready, because you will write down a setup key. Make sure your exchange login, email and current SMS OTP all work, since the switch will ask you to confirm with them. Do this when you do not need to withdraw for a day or two, as some exchanges limit withdrawals for a period after security changes; the help center article explains the current rule.

Link the authenticator and write down the key

In the exchange app, open Security and choose the authenticator app option, sometimes labelled Google Authenticator or authenticator. The screen shows a QR code and a text key. Scan the QR with your authenticator app, then write the text key on paper and keep it somewhere safe at home. That key is what lets you restore the codes on a new phone. Enter the six-digit code from the app to confirm, along with the email and SMS codes the exchange requests.

Decide what to do with SMS

Once the authenticator works, check whether the exchange lets you disable SMS as a login or withdrawal factor or keeps it only for recovery. Using the authenticator as the main factor and removing SMS where possible reduces your exposure to SIM swaps. Keep your phone number current on the account anyway, because it can still be used for alerts and account recovery. Never share any code, whether it arrives by SMS or appears in the app, with a caller or chat agent.

Test the setup and repeat on each exchange

Log out and log in again using the authenticator code. Then try a small action that requires it, such as viewing API settings, to be sure everything works. Repeat the process on each exchange you use, labelling each entry clearly inside the authenticator app. Finally, consider adding a passkey where the exchange supports one, as a further login option that is tied to your device and resistant to fake websites.

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Scenario checkpoint

• Install an authenticator app from the official store and plan a day without urgent withdrawals.
• Scan the QR code and write the setup key on paper before confirming the link.
• Remove SMS as a factor where the exchange allows it but keep your phone number up to date.
• Log out and back in with the authenticator code, then repeat the setup on every exchange.