How to use your phone as a two-factor authentication security key

If you wish to confirm your Google login and make it tougher to entry by anybody however your self (at all times a good suggestion), a technique is to make use of your iPhone or Android smartphone as a bodily safety key. When you can arrange a third-party 2FA app equivalent to Authy and even use Google’s personal Authenticator, these require that you just enter each your password and a code generated by the app. Google’s built-in safety means that you can entry your account by simply hitting “Sure” or urgent your quantity button after a pop-up seems in your telephone. You can even use your telephone as a secondary safety key.

Use your telephone to sign up

To set this up, your pc ought to be working a present model of Home windows 10, iOS, macOS, or Chrome OS. Earlier than you begin, guarantee that your telephone is working Android 7 or later and that it has Bluetooth turned on.

• Whereas it’s unlikely you’ve an Android telephone that doesn’t have a Google account related to it, for those who’re one of many few, you must add a Google account to your telephone by heading into Settings > Passwords & accounts, scroll right down to and choose Add account > Google
• As soon as that’s executed, open a Google Chrome browser in your pc
• Head into myaccount.google.com/safety on Chrome and click on on Use your telephone to sign up

• Enter your account password. You’ll be requested to fulfill three steps: select a telephone (when you have a couple of), ensure you have both Contact ID (for an iPhone) or a display screen lock (for an Android), and add a restoration telephone quantity.

You’ll then be run by way of a check of the system and invited to show it on completely.

Use your telephone as a secondary safety key

You can even use your telephone as a secondary safety key to make sure that it’s certainly you who’re signing into your account. In different phrases, to get into the account, it will likely be essential to be carrying the proper telephone with a Bluetooth connection.

• For those who don’t have two-step verification arrange but, return to your account safety web page, click on on 2-Step Verification and comply with the directions. The TL;DR is that you just’ll must log in, enter a telephone quantity, and choose what secondary strategies of verification you’d like.
• Scroll down the checklist of secondary strategies and choose Add safety key.
• And once more, choose Add safety key.

• You’ll be given the selection of including your telephone (or one in all your telephones, when you have a couple of) or a bodily USB or NFC key. Choose your telephone.
• You’ll get a warning that you must preserve Bluetooth on and that you may solely sign up utilizing a supported browser (Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge).

That’s it! You’ve arrange your telephone as a safety key and may now log in to Gmail, Google Cloud, and different Google companies and use your telephone as the first or secondary methodology of verification.

Simply make sure that your telephone is in shut proximity to your pc everytime you’re making an attempt to log in. Your pc will then let you know that your telephone is displaying a immediate. Comply with the instructions to confirm your login, and also you’re all set!

Replace March twenty ninth, 2021, 11:20AM ET: This text was initially printed on April twelfth, 2019, and has been up to date to account for adjustments within the Google interface.