Google Makes Setting Up 2FA a More 'Simplified Process'

Google 2-Step verification can now be set up without your phone number; instead, you can use Google Authenticator or a hardware security key. Changes are coming to how you set up 2-step verification (also called 2FA or 2 2-factor authentication).

In a post on the Google Workspace Updates blog on Monday, the company announced that it's changing the way that you set your two-step verification. Previously, you needed to provide a phone number to enable 2-step verification, now you can add a "second step method" such as Google Authenticator or a hardware security key.

If you opt to use the hardware security key, you can choose to either "Use security key" or "Create passkey and follow instructions to 'use another device.'” The first option allows you to use FIDO1 or FIDO2 credentials, while the second option allows you to use FIDO2 credentials, and you'll need to set a PIN number on the security key.

If you use a managed Google Workspace account, you may still need to sign into your account with your password, depending on how your administrators set up your account.

One additional change that's being made is the preservation of your "enrolled second steps." Once you've enrolled a second-step method, if you turn off 2FA in your Google Account settings, your enrolled second-step methods will not be deleted, whereas previously, when you turned off 2-step verification, all second-step methods and saved backup codes were deleted.

These changes to 2-step verification in Google Workspace started rolling out on Monday, May 6. Google estimates it will take 1-3 days for the rollout to complete.