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

If you want to verify your Google login and make it harder to access by anyone but yourself (always a good idea), one way is to use your iPhone or Android smartphone as a physical security key. While you can set up a third-party 2FA app such as Authy or even use Googles own Authenticator, these require that you enter both your password and a code generated by the app. Googles built-in security allows you to access your account by just hitting Yes or pressing your volume button after a pop-up appears on your phone. You can also use your phone as a secondary security key.

To set this up, your computer should be running a current version of Windows 10, iOS, macOS, or Chrome OS. Before you start, make sure that your phone is running Android 7 or later and that it has Bluetooth turned on.

Youll then be run through a test of the system and invited to turn it on permanently.

You can also use your phone as a secondary security key to ensure that it is indeed you who are signing into your account. In other words, to get into the account, it will be necessary to be carrying the correct phone with a Bluetooth connection.

Thats it! Youve set up your phone as a security key and can now log in to Gmail, Google Cloud, and other Google services and use your phone as the primary or secondary method of verification.

Just make sure your phone is in close proximity to your computer whenever youre trying to log in. Your computer will then tell you that your phone is displaying a prompt. Follow the directions to verify your login, and youre all set!

Update March 29th, 2021, 11:20AM ET: This article was originally published on April 12th, 2019, and has been updated to account for changes in the Google interface.

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