diff --git a/src/Authenticator.php b/src/Authenticator.php
index 4acbec7..b36af9c 100644
--- a/src/Authenticator.php
+++ b/src/Authenticator.php
@@ -39,9 +39,12 @@ class Authenticator{
 	/**
 	 * Authenticator constructor
 	 */
-	public function __construct(SettingsContainerInterface|AuthenticatorOptions $options = null, string $secret = null){
+	public function __construct(
+		SettingsContainerInterface|AuthenticatorOptions $options = new AuthenticatorOptions,
+		string|null $secret = null
+	){
 		// phpcs:ignore
-		$this->setOptions($options ?? new AuthenticatorOptions);
+		$this->setOptions($options);
 
 		if($secret !== null){
 			$this->setSecret($secret);
@@ -94,7 +97,7 @@ public function getSecret():string{
 	 *
 	 * @codeCoverageIgnore
 	 */
-	public function createSecret(int $length = null):string{
+	public function createSecret(int|null $length = null):string{
 		return $this->authenticator->createSecret($length);
 	}
 
@@ -107,7 +110,7 @@ public function createSecret(int $length = null):string{
 	 *
 	 * @codeCoverageIgnore
 	 */
-	public function code(int $data = null):string{
+	public function code(int|null $data = null):string{
 		return $this->authenticator->code($data);
 	}
 
@@ -120,7 +123,7 @@ public function code(int $data = null):string{
 	 *
 	 * @codeCoverageIgnore
 	 */
-	public function verify(#[SensitiveParameter] string $otp, int $data = null):bool{
+	public function verify(#[SensitiveParameter] string $otp, int|null $data = null):bool{
 		return $this->authenticator->verify($otp, $data);
 	}
 
@@ -131,7 +134,7 @@ public function verify(#[SensitiveParameter] string $otp, int $data = null):bool
 	 *
 	 * @throws \InvalidArgumentException
 	 */
-	public function getUri(string $label, string $issuer, int $hotpCounter = null, bool $omitSettings = null):string{
+	public function getUri(string $label, string $issuer, int|null $hotpCounter = null, bool|null $omitSettings = null):string{
 		$label  = trim($label);
 		$issuer = trim($issuer);
 
diff --git a/src/Authenticators/AuthenticatorAbstract.php b/src/Authenticators/AuthenticatorAbstract.php
index 46696df..5d9f8f3 100644
--- a/src/Authenticators/AuthenticatorAbstract.php
+++ b/src/Authenticators/AuthenticatorAbstract.php
@@ -29,16 +29,15 @@ abstract class AuthenticatorAbstract implements AuthenticatorInterface{
 	protected const userAgent = 'chillerlanAuthenticator/5.0 +https://github.com/chillerlan/php-authenticator';
 
 	protected SettingsContainerInterface|AuthenticatorOptions $options;
-	protected ?string                                         $secret          = null;
+	protected string|null                                     $secret          = null;
 	protected int                                             $serverTime      = 0;
 	protected int                                             $lastRequestTime = 0;
 
 	/**
 	 * AuthenticatorInterface constructor
 	 */
-	public function __construct(SettingsContainerInterface|AuthenticatorOptions $options = null){
-		// phpcs:ignore
-		$this->setOptions($options ?? new AuthenticatorOptions);
+	public function __construct(SettingsContainerInterface|AuthenticatorOptions $options = new AuthenticatorOptions){
+		$this->setOptions($options);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -74,7 +73,7 @@ public function getSecret():string{
 	/**
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 */
-	public function createSecret(int $length = null):string{
+	public function createSecret(int|null $length = null):string{
 		$length ??= $this->options->secret_length;
 
 		if($length < 16){
diff --git a/src/Authenticators/AuthenticatorInterface.php b/src/Authenticators/AuthenticatorInterface.php
index c4d245d..36e8894 100644
--- a/src/Authenticators/AuthenticatorInterface.php
+++ b/src/Authenticators/AuthenticatorInterface.php
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public function getSecret():string;
 	 *
 	 * @throws \InvalidArgumentException
 	 */
-	public function createSecret(int $length = null):string;
+	public function createSecret(int|null $length = null):string;
 
 	/**
 	 * Returns the current server time as UNIX timestamp for the given application (or `time()` if not applicable)
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public function getServertime():int;
 	 *
 	 * @internal
 	 */
-	public function getCounter(int $data = null):int;
+	public function getCounter(int|null $data = null):int;
 
 	/**
 	 * HMAC hashes the given $data integer with the given secret
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public function getOTP(#[SensitiveParameter] int $code):string;
 	 *  - a UNIX timestamp (TOTP)
 	 *  - a counter value (HOTP)
 	 */
-	public function code(int $data = null):string;
+	public function code(int|null $data = null):string;
 
 	/**
 	 * Checks the given $code against the secret
@@ -114,6 +114,6 @@ public function code(int $data = null):string;
 	 *  - a UNIX timestamp (TOTP)
 	 *  - a counter value (HOTP)
 	 */
-	public function verify(#[SensitiveParameter] string $otp, int $data = null):bool;
+	public function verify(#[SensitiveParameter] string $otp, int|null $data = null):bool;
 
 }
diff --git a/src/Authenticators/HOTP.php b/src/Authenticators/HOTP.php
index 7c33b7c..956efc3 100644
--- a/src/Authenticators/HOTP.php
+++ b/src/Authenticators/HOTP.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class HOTP extends AuthenticatorAbstract{
 	/**
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 */
-	public function getCounter(int $data = null):int{
+	public function getCounter(int|null $data = null):int{
 		return ($data ?? 0);
 	}
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public function getOTP(#[SensitiveParameter] int $code):string{
 	/**
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 */
-	public function code(int $data = null):string{
+	public function code(int|null $data = null):string{
 		$hmac = $this->getHMAC($this->getCounter($data));
 
 		return $this->getOTP($this->getCode($hmac));
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public function code(int $data = null):string{
 	/**
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 */
-	public function verify(#[SensitiveParameter] string $otp, int $data = null):bool{
+	public function verify(#[SensitiveParameter] string $otp, int|null $data = null):bool{
 		return hash_equals($this->code($data), $otp);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/Authenticators/SteamGuard.php b/src/Authenticators/SteamGuard.php
index 718aaab..f168c5e 100644
--- a/src/Authenticators/SteamGuard.php
+++ b/src/Authenticators/SteamGuard.php
@@ -68,14 +68,14 @@ public function getSecret():string{
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 * @codeCoverageIgnore
 	 */
-	public function createSecret(int $length = null):string{
+	public function createSecret(int|null $length = null):string{
 		throw new RuntimeException('Not implemented');
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 */
-	public function getCounter(int $data = null):int{
+	public function getCounter(int|null $data = null):int{
 		// the period is fixed to 30 seconds for Steam Guard
 		$this->options->period = 30;
 
diff --git a/src/Authenticators/TOTP.php b/src/Authenticators/TOTP.php
index 6185205..e52e201 100644
--- a/src/Authenticators/TOTP.php
+++ b/src/Authenticators/TOTP.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class TOTP extends HOTP{
 	/**
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 */
-	public function getCounter(int $data = null):int{
+	public function getCounter(int|null $data = null):int{
 		$data ??= time();
 
 		if($this->options->useLocalTime === false){
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ public function getCounter(int $data = null):int{
 	/**
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 */
-	public function verify(#[SensitiveParameter] string $otp, int $data = null):bool{
+	public function verify(#[SensitiveParameter] string $otp, int|null $data = null):bool{
 		$limit = $this->options->adjacent;
 
 		if($limit === 0){
diff --git a/tests/AuthenticatorTest.php b/tests/AuthenticatorTest.php
index 0f8c6a2..dd3a46c 100644
--- a/tests/AuthenticatorTest.php
+++ b/tests/AuthenticatorTest.php
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ protected function setUp():void{
 	}
 
 	public function testSetSecretViaConstruct():void{
-		$this->authenticator = new Authenticator(null, self::secret);
+		$this->authenticator = new Authenticator(secret: self::secret);
 
 		$this::assertSame(self::secret, $this->authenticator->getSecret());
 	}