Google simplifies securing your account with double authentication by removing the obligation to add a phone number.
Securing your Google account with double authentication has become essential for all users wishing to protect their personal data, whether it comes from Gmail or private documents on Google Drive.
To encourage more users to use its Google Authenticator application, the firm has decided to simplify the verification and authentication process with a very practical update.
No need for a phone number for 2FA
It is on its blog that Google (via Android Authority) announced several changes concerning the double authentication process (also called 2FA) to secure its account.
The first concerns users wishing to activate protection on their Google account. It is no longer necessary to provide a phone number and receive a verification SMS to use an authentication application such as Google Authenticator or Authy.
You will be able to directly add your Google account to these tools, which will show you temporary codes when connecting to unknown devices. We always appreciate these small improvements that reduce friction to encourage users to secure their account.
Google has also simplified the addition of hardware security keys, which can be configured by adding a passkey. Finally, disabling two-factor authentication will no longer disable other measures, like backup codes, Google Authenticator integration, or using a second phone. You will have to deactivate them manually from now on.
