How to Turn on Gmail Two-Factor Authentication

Enable Gmail 2FA

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Updated on March 16, 2021

It's important to keep your Gmail account secure at all times, as your Gmail messages may have far-reaching consequences. A password isn't enough to keep it 100% secure. Here's how to set up Gmail two-factor authentication (2FA), and why it's useful to arrange.

Why Use Gmail Two-Factor Authentication?

Your email account contains a lot of valuable information. It's likely the account you use for everything, from your online banking to your social media accounts and potentially even work related issues.

Keeping all that information in one place is useful for you, but potentially dangerous, too. If a hacker is able to bypass your password, they can gain access to a lot of important information as well as your identity.

Two-factor authentication requires you to have access to a physical device like your smartphone, as well as have your virtual password, making it much harder for anyone to access your email account.

How Gmail Two-Factor Authentication Works

Gmail two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring you to have both your password and a special security key to access your Gmail account. Typically, this involves Google sending you a verification code that's unique to your account via text, voice call, or via the Google Authenticator app. Each code is only usable once and expires within minutes, so it's very secure.

How to Turn on Gmail 2-Step Verification

It only takes a few minutes to set up Gmail 2FA.

Sign in to your Gmail account and select your profile picture or icon.
Select Manage Your Google Account.
Select Security from the left pane.
Select 2-Step Verification.

If this option isn't visible to you, go to https://www.google.com/landing/2step/ and follow these steps for setting up Google two-factor authentication.
The next screen explains 2-Step Verification. Select Get Started.
Enter your password and select Next.
Enter your phone number, choose whether to receive codes via text messages or phone call, then select Next.

If you want to use a different option, such as a physical security key or a Google prompt on your phone, select Choose another option, then select it from the list.
Enter the verification code, then select Next.
Select Turn On to activate Gmail 2-step authentication.

How to Turn Off Gmail Two-Factor Authentication

We don't recommend disabling Gmail 2-step verification, but for those times when you need to, here's how.

Sign in to your Gmail account and select your profile picture or icon.
Select Manage Your Google Account.
Select Security.
Scroll down to 2-Step Verification and sign in if prompted. Respond to whichever method of 2-Step Verification you have activated.
Select Turn Off.
Google shows a warning message asking you to confirm that you really want to disable 2-Step Verification. If you're sure, select Turn Off.

How to Set Up Alternate Verification Steps for Your Gmail Account

If you want to set up different forms of verification than a text message or voice call, there are ways of doing it. Here's how to change the second form of verification.

Sign in to your Gmail account and select your profile picture or icon.
Select Manage Your Google Account.
Select Security.
Select 2-Step Verification. Sign in to your Google account if prompted.
Scroll down to Add more second steps to verify it's you.
Choose from backup codes, a Google prompt, the Google Authenticator app, and more. Select an option to set it up.

It's also possible to add a backup phone to the account, as well as request a physical security key that plugs into your computer's USB port.

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