How to Use Android Phone to Verify Google Sign in on iOS Using 2SV.
Google recently introduced 2-Step Verification or 2-Step Verification. This type works like a Yubi dongle, but instead of a USB device that authenticates your input, you will be using your Android smartphone. Every time you log in to one of the services, you will receive a pop-up window on your Android device, notifying you of important details and the option to accept or reject the login. Carefully.
Let’s see how we can implement 2-Step Verification on iPhone so that we can use an Android phone to verify Google login on an iOS device. Don’t have an iOS device? I will also show you how to set up Android so that you can sign in to various services using your Android smartphone.
Also read:Â Â How to enable or disable two-factor authentication on social media
1. What you need
There are several criteria you need to meet before you can set up 2-Step Verification on your Android and iOS smartphones. If you don’t meet the prerequisites, you will have to continue using two-factor authentication, which is very secure in itself, but definitely not secure.
- Requires Android 7 or higher.
- Enable two-factor authentication on Google.
- Latest version of iOS.
- Download and install Chrome on Android and iOS
- Enable screen lock on Android / iOS
Also Read: How To Enable Two-Factor Authentication On WordPress
2. How to prepare
You will start with your Google account. Create an account or log in using an existing one and go to My Account. Under the Security tab on the right, you will find the Use Phone Sign In option and set up 2-Step Verification.
We’ll start with the first option to see a short demo of how it works, then turn it on right away. Click “Use phone to sign in” and on the next screen click “Configure”.
You will be prompted to re-enter your Google account password for security reasons. Do this. On the next screen, you will see a drop-down list of all smartphones with the same Google ID that you used to sign in. Select Android here because you want to use Android to sign in to your Google account. If you want to use your iPhone instead, select it here.
Please note that before moving on, make sure you have enabled screen lock on your Android and iOS phone. It could be a pattern or a touch lock, but there must be some kind of security sign. In the screenshot above, you can see that Google checks this with a checkmark as well. Click Next.
Why do I need a screen lock? Without a screen lock, anyone can grab your smartphone and use it to sign in to one of the many Google services, or even third-party sites you sign in to using your preferred Google ID. A screen lock will protect you if your phone is stolen or lost.
Enter your Google email address on the next screen to test the newly enabled 2-Step Verification feature. Click Next.
Google will now send a notification to your Android phone to check if you can enable smartphone login or not.
Unlock your Android phone and you will see a popup like this.
This is a dummy message to check if the setting works. Hence, you will only see two options, with no additional IP address or location information. If you click Yes, the login will be confirmed and you will proceed to the next step in the setup process. If you click No, you have to start from scratch again. Click on Yes.
If successful, you will receive a notification about it. Finally, click the Enable button to complete the setup and enable the feature.
Let’s try it out in the real world and see how it works. Unlock your iPhone and try logging into your Google account, the same one you used to log into your Android phone and used to set up two-step verification. Sign in to the app on your iPhone or website using the same Google ID and you should receive a Google prompt that should look something like this.
This time, you will see more information such as location, time and device OS. As you can see, getting login requests is much faster than entering 2FA codes using Google Authenticator or any other authentication app. It saves time and is also safe, if not more.
Also read: Authy vs Google Authenticator – Which One Is Better?
3. The device is not available
So what happens if your smartphone is stolen or lost? How do you get Google 2SV requests and log into this web app or mobile app? This is where backup comes in. You can choose to receive SMS with a code to any mobile phone number. I would advise you to choose a number other than the one you chose to receive the 2SV prompts for obvious reasons.
To set this up, go back to Google My Account and under Security, select 2-Step Verification.
This time you will find several new possibilities. First, there is a voice or text message option. Click “Add Phone” to add a backup number where you can receive SMS codes to enter applications and sites on iPhone.
The second option is backup codes,
which are nothing more than one-time passwords that you can use to log into the system. These backup codes can only be used once. It is recommended that you print these codes and save them offline to protect them from theft. If it falls into the wrong hands, they can log into your Google account and wreak havoc. First, click “Install”.
Below are two more options in case you need to further secure your login process. The third option is the Authenticator app. This can be used to generate codes even offline, so no active internet connection is required to log in. Click the Install button to get started. You will need to download the Authenticator app for Android or iOS respectively. Simply scan the QR code displayed on your screen with the Authenticator app and it will be added to your app, generating a new usable code every 30 seconds clockwise.
The fourth option is a physical USB security key that you insert into your computer before attempting to log in to the site to authenticate the process. According to many experts, this is the most secure type of authentication. I would suggest you choose Yubkey if you want to customize it. Click “Add dongle” to start.
Google 2-step verification
Usernames and passwords are no longer protected. You need a second layer of protection, and there are several ways to achieve this. You can choose 2FA or two-factor authentication, which is secure in itself, but the only problem is that after entering the password, you will need to enter the generated code from the authentication app. It takes time, but it’s worth it. Two-Step Verification, or Two-Step Verification, addresses this issue by allowing users to use their Android phone as a physical key that will show a popup every time they log in to their account. One click on the popup is much faster than opening the authenticator app and manually entering the code. However, it’s wise to create a backup in case you lose access to your Android phone.
How to Use Android Phone to Verify Google Sign in on iOS Using 2SV