Pretty sure there was a similar post on the forum recently, maybe a week ago, with replies from the SFA’s.
When items are out of stock and there’s only one option for it (i.e. one size, one color, etc.), that page is removed from the Gear Store. It’ll return if they ever get more in stock.
Normally that’s true. This time however, they removed all reference to the physical authenticator from the authenticator support article about two weeks ago when the authenticator article was last updated.
We no longer manufacture, or offer physical authenticators. Sorry!
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Wow…ok that is totally unexpected!
I still have mine. I assume it will be supported as long as the battery lasts. Is that the case? I really really dislike phone apps.
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Q: Will there be a new physical authenticator down the pipeline, or should we just think of it gone from now on?
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I don’t have any information to share on that front 
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Oh damn…nooooooo
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Thanks for confirming, Kalv. 
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That is probably something that should have been properly announced. Hopefully MMO-Champions sees this (sometimes they’ve been known to count SFA responses as blue highlights, if they offer new information like this). Ah well, least I still have mine. For now.*
*This is a reference to it inevitably breaking one day, as all things do.
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Wow, that’s… just out of left field. This is something that should have been announced long beforehand to prevent this kind of “surprise”. I was about to order two more since both of my sisters’ authenticators were well over 10 years old and starting to fail.
Any information how they are supposed to change up their authenticators?
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The process for changing or removing an authenticator hasn’t changed. Nothing about the authenticator system has changed except that the phyiscal keychain is no longer available for purchase.
If their keychain authenticators are still working* and they would like to change to a mobile authenticator they can do so pretty easily:
Once the old authenticator is removed, they can immediately attach the new one.
*If the authenticator is no longer working, this article will still be able to assist them. If they have a SMS number associated with their account they can use that for removal or they can contact customer support if they need assistance.
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Well, one really dislikes having a cell phone. She has one that she uses only for wifi and doesn’t have a cell number attached. Is that going to be a problem? I apologize for sounding harsh if I am, just trying to get this figured out so she can get everything changed up with no issues.
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The mobile authenticator should still be fine with that. The phone number is used as an additional security verification method but isn’t required.
I have an old phone at home that I keep next to my computer, it doesn’t have any service but I can still use my authenticator on it
I will strongly recommend (as will the app) that anyone using the mobile authenticator write down or otherwise save the Serial Number and Restore Code that are provided in the app. This is useful if you switch phones and forget to update your Blizzard account. The Serial Number and Restore Code will essentially “clone” the authenticator onto a new device. So, keep that information but also keep it safe!
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One of them is doing this now, so hopefully it goes along painlessly. Thanks for all the help and hopefully sometime down the line the physical ones will be reconsidered for a “rez”
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So what about those of us who own multiple blizzard accounts IE Multi-Boxers? will the Mobile phone authenticator work for more than one account???
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Yes, this is taken from the Blizzard Authenticator support article:
“The Blizzard Authenticator offers an additional layer of security against unauthorized account access on up to three Blizzard accounts.”
So, three Blizzard Accounts can have the same Authenticator serial number from your one device. Any Blizzard Accounts you have over three would need a different device, I imagine.
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thank you Axis, did not see that part
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I disagree. Most retails stores won’t give notice when something is discontinued. We life in a time were mobile devices are very common. I understand some people refuse to use them, nothing wrong with that - but there would be, most likely, more that do than more that don’t.
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