How to Setup Gmail 2-Step Verification With Android

Ever wonder how terrible if your Gmail got hacked by someone and stole all your work data, bank account, and other important data? That must be a nightmare and nobody  ever wants it to happen. Gmail currently has an advanced  sign-in method that enable you to pass two steps of verification whenever you want to login to your Google account.

This  2-steps verification requires two independent factors for authentification. This is much like you might see on your e-banking transaction, your website password and a key obtained from your phone or a dedicated key generator device. Once this 2-steps verification enabled on your account, you will see an extra page prompting for a code after you signing in with username and password. You can use your Android, Iphone or Blackberry as the code generator device or  use SMS to send the code to your phone. In this tutorial, i’ll explain how to use 2-step verification with Android as the code generator device.

How to setup:

• Log in to your Gmail and go to Account settings page
  
• On Account Settings page, click the Using 2-step verification link.
  
• Click the Start setup button.
  
• On Set up 2-verification page, choose Android as device where you’ll get the verification code.
• Install Google Authenticator app from Android market.
  
• Now it is time to configure your Android device, run the Google Authenticator app.
• There are two ways to configure Google Authenticator: by scanning a barcode or manually add account if you have no barcode scanner app installed.
• If you choose to scan barcode, click the Scan a barcode button to scan the barcode displayed on setup page.
• Enter the code displayed on Google Authenticator app into the Code field then click the Verify button.
  
• If you choose to add account manually, click the Can’t scan the barcode to expand the hidden instruction page.
• On Google Authenticator app, click the Manually add account button. Enter account name with your Gmail address, key with the key from setup page (step 3 on picture above) and choose time based key type.
  
• Enter the code displayed on Google Authenticator app into the Code field then click the Verify button.

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• Click Next on the next page.
• Now you can backup some codes to be used in case the phone isn’t available. Each code will allow you to sign in one time. Click the  Save to text file to save the codes to local disk.
• Click Next to continue.
• You can also have the codes sent to your backup phone number if your primary phone is unavailable or lost. Fill in your phone number and choose which way the codes will be sent, you can choose between SMS or Voice Call. Click Next to continue.
  
• On next page, you’ll get a warning page shows that you need to generate and enter an application specific password. Application specific password will be used when you log in to several Google apps such as Adsense, Adwords, Google Talk or your Android device. Note that if you enable this 2-step verification, you will never be able to use your current password to login to those applications, you have to use separate application specific password. This password need to be entered only once for each application. We will setup it later, click Next to continue.
• Now the setup is done, click the Turn on 2-step verification button to turn on the 2-step verification. You will be signed out of your Google Account on all devices including mobile applications. The next time you sign in, Google will ask for your password and your verification code.
• After logged out, try to log in to your Gmail. After entering your password, you’ll will be asking for verification code. Use verification code from your Google Authenticator application to verify.
• You have done the 2-step verification setup. You will be noticed that you have been logged out automatically from some Google applications such as Google Talk, Gmail and Market on your Android phone. It means you have to sign in again with new application specific password.
• Go to Account Settings page then enter the Using 2-step verification
• Click the  Manage application-specific password link.
  
• Enter the name that will help you remember what application is for then click Generate password
• Use the generated password to sign in to Google application. For example, to login into Gtalk on Android, use your email as username and your generated app-specific password as your password.
• Done.

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