How-To

Google Two Factor Authentication Guide

By Brian Burgess

Updated March 7, 2024

Enabling two factor authentication is a vital step to keep your data secure and we’ll show you how to enable it on your Google account.

Enabling two factor authentication (2fa) or, as some services call it (including Google), two step verification (2SV) is vital to keeping your online account secure.

Just having your email address and password isn’t enough. Mainly if you use the same password on multiple sites. Everyone is susceptible to getting their accounts attacked. Even tech journalists have been hacked in high-profile incidents in the past.

One of the much-talked-about security measures is enabling 2fa for your Google account. You may also have heard about enabling passkeys, which is a secure and easier method of adding an extra layer of security to your accounts.

Still, even with passkeys, you should turn on 2fa on sites that don’t offer it and as backup protection for your account data if you can’t access your phone. You may ask how to use two factor authentication on Google. In this guide, we’ll show you how and why you should.

What is Two Factor Authentication?

Two factor authentication is your online security. The funny thing is that you’ve already been using two factor authentication your entire adult life and didn’t even know it.

To answer the question, 2fa requires you to both know and have something to prove your identity.

1. A user must know something — username, password, or PIN.
2. The user must have something — ATM card, Smart Card, Company Badge, Birth Certificate, etc.

Using a username and password is considered one factor authentication since you only need to know something to access your accounts.

You can’t simply walk up to an ATM, enter a Username and Password, and start pulling out cash. Instead, they rely on a second factor. You need a bank card before they let you pull cash out of an ATM. To complete the two factor authentication process, the second layer is knowing your secret PIN. So, you have something (the card) and know something (the PIN).

Unlike banks, 2fa online can be done with your phone or tablet that receives a code from the service or is generated with an authenticator app, such as Authy, Google Authenticator, or Microsoft Authenticator. The six-digit code and your normal username and password become your 2fa.

In the online world, this is very important, especially if you don’t create a strong password. Two factor authentication or two step verification is vital even if you use a password manager like 1Password, LastPass, or Bitwarden.

Google is more than just a search engine; you likely have a lot of data with the service. That is especially true if you use other services like Google Docs, Google Drive, etc. We’ll show you how to turn on 2fa for your Google account. So, let’s get to it.

How To Enable 2-Step Verification in Google

We’ve explained how to set up 2fa and why you should on Google in the past. And the first place to start is to enable 2SV on your Google account.

1. Head to the Google security page and sign in with the account you want to enable 2fa.

2. Scroll to the How you sign in to Google section and click 2-Step Verification from the menu.

3. A page will appear with a brief explanation of what 2SV is – click the Get started button.

4. Type in your Google password and click Next.

5. A list of the devices you’re signed into that can receive the 2SV code will appear – click Continue.
   Note: The 2SV code will appear on all phones you’re signed into. If you don’t want that, you may need to remove devices from your Google account.

6. Enter the phone number on which you want to receive the second factor code. You can also choose text or phone call (robocall with your code) and click the Send button.

7. It’s also important to note that you can click the Use Another Backup Option link and get a list of one-time passcodes that you can use in case you don’t have access to your phone. Print the codes and store them in a secure location.

8. Google will send you a six-digit code. Type it in and click Next.

9. Once you enter the code, click the Turn On button to complete the 2SV setup process.

10. Two Step Verification will be enabled, and the next time you sign in on an untrusted device, you will need to enter a code as the second factor.
11. When it’s on, you can also click to get backup codes, set up an authenticator app as described above, or enable a security key.

That’s all there is to enable 2SV for your Google account. You will have peace of mind knowing that your account and data are protected with a strong password and a second layer of security – the code sent to your device.

You can also create app-specific passwords; however, Google doesn’t recommend it unless you use the Sign in with Google option to connect apps to your Google account.

You also may want to know if you can turn off two step verification on Google. The answer is yes, but it’s not recommended.

Go to the same security section explained above, select the 2SV option, sign in, and toggle off the 2-Step Verification switch.

Google Authenticator for Mobile

Now that you have your desktop and other apps set to use 2SV, you may want to use Google Authenticator. The app replaces the text messages Google normally sends you for the second factor. It’s available on the following platforms:

• Google Authenticator for iOS
• Google Authenticator for Android

When you need to verify your accounts, the site will ask you for the code generated by Google Authenticator. A new code for sites is generated every 60 seconds. If you use it for a lot of sites, it has a handy search field at the top so you can find it.

Two Factor Authentication for Google Apps Users

If you’re a Google Apps admin, you can enable Two Factor Authentication for your Google Apps Users. By default, the feature is disabled on Google Apps Domains. But system administrators can enable it in the Google Apps Admin Dashboard. You can set 2SV policies for each organization or group you set up.

Take Time to Set Up Two Step Verification on Google

I’d like to take some time to suggest you set aside some time to get everything in sync. Depending on what you have, an hour should be plenty of time to get it all working. I found that using 2SV on Google was annoying at first. But I set aside some times to turn it on. I made sure all of my accounts and apps were working. Now, I have peace of mind knowing that my accounts and data are secure.

Setting up Google’s two step verification requires some effort initially. However, once you have it all configured set up and configured, you’ll know your data on Google is more secure. Of course, online and offline security is all about layers. There isn’t any silver bullet to make you 100% secure but 2SV helps.

The key is to make your accounts and home more secure than the guy next door. To keep your data secure, enable as many layers as possible. And 2fa is one of the most important steps to online security you can take. Or, for a modern option, learn how to enable passkeys on Google. Passkeys make adding another layer of defense to your accounts easier. But currently, not all companies offer it.

Also, even with passkeys, you want to enable 2fa on your accounts as backup protection. Virtually all sites offer 2fa or 2SV to help protect your data. You might think that using 2SV for Google isn’t be the most convenient security option to access your account. Sure, it takes some work, however, it’s important to remember that convenience is the enemy of security.