Google sign in two step verification.

[Sharpie]

Heads-up, in case this may affect you.

Google is to force two step verification upon me. Commencing November 9th.

Meaning that to sign in to my Google account I will have to have my registered mobile phone with me, with a signal, to do so.

This will absolutely mess up some of the ways that I use it. If I can't find a way around this, i.e. turn it off again, I will have to consider something drastic, even paying for a proper service, with huge disruption. If so, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Email received just now, 2 November. Some notice period.:

Soon you’ll sign in with 2-Step Verification

After you enter your password, you’ll complete a second step on your phone. Keep your phone nearby when you sign in.

2-Step Verification will be turned on automatically on 9 November. You can turn this on sooner if you want – your account is ready.
Turn on now
Why is my sign-in changing?
Using a second step to sign in makes your account much more secure.
How this protects your account

How does it work?
After you enter your password, you’ll tap a Google prompt on your phone or get a sign-in code to enter (charges from your operator may apply).
Update your phone and recovery email

 

[foxdropper]

Lucky you

 

[Puds]

Surely it’s only required when you actually log in? Just tick the ‘stay signed in’ box instead.

 

[Pedro]

There's a fine line between keeping your personal information as safe as possible and annoying the hell out of you jumping through hoops when you log into something these days, such as your bank account or whatever. I think some banks/companies have got it right and some aren't quite there yet.

However, one of the biggest risks seems to be the company themselves keeping your information and then getting hacked themselves. Happens far too many times, the latest to affect some on here being the Guntrader business.

 

[sauer]

Not much cope when you work offshore and your trying to sign and “extra verification “ required and it’s usually by text …. Rig gives wifi but no way on earth your getting a cellular signal so that’s that knackered

Paul

 

[bobthedug]

Surely it’s only required when you actually log in? Just tick the ‘stay signed in’ box instead.

I'm sure that is what I have done. I had the code sent the one time and my device must remember the details.
Its been no big deal or drama

 

[John Gryphon]

No ph signal/reception at my home for mobile phones....the world seems to expect that everyone has a phone in their kick.

 

[Sharpie]

Staying signed in only works for as long as their cookies remain set in the particular browser that you are using, on that particular device.

Clear the cookies, or use a different browser, and you have to start again.

Or, use a work computer where I might be using a different one everyday, and I would have to do the two factor thing every time. even moving between desks on the same day, or using a friend's computer when visiting.

If borrowing a computer I try to do all my stuff in a private browsing window, so that when I am finished I close it, clearing all cookies, history etc.

Or when travelling abroad I'd need my 'phone to be roaming successfully, which costs me £2 per day in Europe and £5/day anywhere else. And that's just in Three "go roam" destinations.

And plenty of places I go to in the UK have broadband but no 'phone signal.

 

[Sharpie]

And both my bank account and main credit card now require me to carry widgets that issue a one time passcode to log into my accounts, or authorise online purchases. I can reluctantly see the necessity for that, but it is a complete faff, and if I mislay one, don't have it with me, or it malfunctions e.g. they are not waterproof, I'm screwed. Be a bit too slow in entering the magic number and I get two more goes before I'm locked out, needing a tedious long call, mostly on hold, to get through to the dept. that can unblock that, and start again

 

[Puds]

Not much cope when you work offshore and your trying to sign and “extra verification “ required and it’s usually by text …. Rig gives wifi but no way on earth your getting a cellular signal so that’s that knackered

Paul

Do you not have ‘WiFi call’ on your phone?

 

[csl]

They say needing a phone number is to do with security, which is half true... but it's also to do with getting as many people verified as possible because that = $$$.

There are other ways to make 2-Step verification like 'Authy' etc. I'm not sure whether Google will let you do that though...

 

[Oh6]

They say needing a phone number is to do with security...

...There are other ways to make 2-Step verification like 'Authy' etc. I'm not sure whether Google will let you do that though...

I would like to hope that they would allow the use of the "Google Authenticator" app, but as you suggest they might not...

 

[kripton]

I'm sure that is what I have done. I had the code sent the one time and my device must remember the details.
Its been no big deal or drama

Yes but it requires you to have a mobile signal - I have no signal at home so turn the mobile off when in the house.

 

[YoungGun]

The cynic in me says they get more value from the data they collect about your usage if they can verify who you are.

If you are not paying, you are the product.

 

[slider]

Do you not have ‘WiFi call’ on your phone?

WiFi calling doesn't send or receive text messages.

 

[Sinistral]

Staying signed in only works for as long as their cookies remain set in the particular browser that you are using, on that particular device.

Clear the cookies, or use a different browser, and you have to start again.

Or, use a work computer where I might be using a different one everyday, and I would have to do the two factor thing every time. even moving between desks on the same day, or using a friend's computer when visiting.

If borrowing a computer I try to do all my stuff in a private browsing window, so that when I am finished I close it, clearing all cookies, history etc.

Or when travelling abroad I'd need my 'phone to be roaming successfully, which costs me £2 per day in Europe and £5/day anywhere else. And that's just in Three "go roam" destinations.

And plenty of places I go to in the UK have broadband but no 'phone signal.

I only carry a PAYG dumbphone [always switched off] in the vehicle for emergencies. This would never work for me, as I don't even know the number so neither will Google.
I'm determinedly anti-mobile, but it's getting harder to resist the banks preferrred way of doing business.

Santander switched my current account to an SMS text based One-Time-Passcode system so I moved over to RBoS Halifax. Their 2-step system simultaneously sends an OTP to the laptop I'm signed in on, and to my landline so that I can say or tap the check number back on the handset. It's a lot more user-friendly, but even something simple like checking my balance is a bit of an ordeal as it relies on the 'phone call from their end.

I'm not quite clear why you're in this predicament, or what your equipment is. What little I do know is that as 2-step verification of your 'Google Account Sign-in' is an extra security layer you have to sign up for it, and set it up afterwards. As this isn't compulsory I purposely haven't selected it, but maybe you have unknowingly. With Google there's often no way back.

Once you're signed in, even when working in Incognito Mode, the Google Account cookies should be left on your browser by default so that you're not signed out of your account inadvertently.
If they're not being kept then perhaps you're clearing them by mistake. Have a look at your 'clear cookie' and 'erase browsing history' option settings, rather than use a total wipe-out.
Just a thought.

As for signing in, if I've understood the Google gobbledigook, the 1st check is the user giving the Google Account ID with Password, and the 2nd verification step relies mostly on hardware. It checks that the signal ID agrees with the device you've registered, and the correct passcode is contained in the message. In short, the envelope looks right and the contents are exactly as expected. It says on the link below and help page that no matter what the problem is, there are all sorts of ways of validating your sign-in even if there's no mobile signal or Wi-Fi.
The Authenticator App is one. From the help page (item 7) the second link suggests a method of signing in from almost anywhere using an app linked to your account. .

Authentication tools for secure sign-in – Google Safety Centre

Browse the different types of passwordless authentication tools that we offer, which are designed to help you sign in quickly and securely across devices.

www.google.com

Sign in with app passwords - Google Account Help

Important: App passwords aren't recommended and are unnecessary in most cases. To help keep your account secure, use "Sign in with Google" to connect apps to your Google Account. An app password is a

support.google.com

 

[Alantoo]

On a Mac the mobile text and wifi messaging service are linked. You get the same message either from Cupertino or the local mobile mast.

I understood as long as you had wifi for the browser you get the two step verification code direct to the Mac message app...

On my MacBook I never have to type in the code, just click in the text box and then click the option to use the code from messages...

It is true the mobile phone is normally in the same room but I don't have any contact with it for the two step verification....

Alan

 

[nun_hunter]

You can get up to 6 codes sent to you to download and save in your "notes" folder or wherever. These are one time use ones and can be used without phone signal. Download the 6 before you head out where you know you won't have signal and you'll at least be cover for a few log in attempts until you can get signal again.

Could be an issue for those working offshore but for 99% of us it'll be fine. For those who are offshore or prolonged lack of phone signal then register a pay as you go phone at home with your wife etc and have her WhatsApp you 6 new codes when/if you need them.

It's a pain but it is a workaround so no need for total panic.

 

[Sharpie]

I'm not quite clear why you're in this predicament, or what your equipment is. What little I do know is that as 2-step verification of your 'Google Account Sign-in' is an extra security layer you have to sign up for it, and set it up afterwards. As this isn't compulsory I purposely haven't selected it, but maybe you have unknowingly. With Google there's often no way back.

Once you're signed in, even when working in Incognito Mode, the Google Account cookies should be left on your browser by default so that you're not signed out of your account inadvertently.
If they're not being kept then perhaps you're clearing them by mistake. Have a look at your 'clear cookie' and 'erase browsing history' option settings, rather than use a total wipe-out.
Just a thought.

It is far worse than that. No I have purposely not signed up to Google 2-factor authentication. This seemingly is going to be forced upon me in 5 days time. Indeed I have expressly forced "lower security" onto my otherwise very secure things that I do with Google. I move about, use different devices etc. even do charitable work from accounts on there shared with a few others. If Google goes off on one with them, then I will have to sort that, assuming that I am awake, my mobile is active, and I am compos mentis at the time. Seemingly little way to spread that responsibility around. It has already become a nausea even if I use a known device on a WiFi network that they have not seen me use before. Particularly if it is an extremely locked down one which they can't get their grubby mitts inside, figure out where it is, and figure out what's going on. Sometimes I even use a VPN. Reluctantly they have, so far, let me do that with a lot of obstacles. I reckon on half an hour at least to get back up, when I do so.

99.9% of what I do is utterly normal and should be of no interest for their data gathering, other than to expose me to personalised ads. and unwanted youtubery sh*t recommendations based on what I might have looked at before.

BTW my recovery account, is at another "free" service, so if I at least have internet but no mobile signal, I can, laboriously, get into that, for as long as it lasts (they too are pushing 2FA)

Anyway that's more than enough information