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Language Foundation

TOTP

TOTP, or time-based one-time password, is a one-time password whose value changes according to the current time and is used to verify identity during authentication.

In plain English

This is a password code that is meant to be used once and changes as time passes. Because its value follows the current time, an old code will not stay the same. It is used when checking a person's identity during authentication.

In context

Here, TOTP labels the code type whose one-time value changes with the current time for identity verification during authentication.

Situation
Setting passwords, multifactor authentication, recovery codes, and trusted devices
What it communicates
labels the code type used in the authenticator-app setup step

Meaning limits

The term itself does not specify the exact timing details or the particular way a system implements this kind of password.

Examples

“At sign-in, Mira's TOTP had changed, so she entered the new code instead of reusing the old one.”

Core meaning

“For authentication, they asked for the current TOTP rather than the number from a minute earlier.”

In context

  • one-time password Broader Term

    A TOTP is a kind of one-time password.

  • static password Contrast

    A static password does not change from one authentication event to another.