All the popular online services (like Google products, Twitter, Facebook, AOL and Yahoo) offer a two-step verification for signing-in to your accounts. The benefit of two-step verification is that it asks you to enter a time based code generated on your phone after you enter the password. This way, even if your passwords get stolen, nobody will be to access your account. The two-step verification process either requires sending a code to your mobile number through SMS, or generating a code using a special app on your smartphone. If you find it too much of a hassle to enter these codes, then you can use a new method for Google accounts called Google Prompt.
Google Prompt makes is so much easier to use two-step verification for your Google accounts. Instead of entering a code, now you can just tap on “Yes” on the login prompt sent by Google to your smartphone and you will be signed in. This is how you can configure Google Prompt for your Google account:
- Use an Android smartphone with latest Google Play Services installed. Make sure you have added screen lock with a password, pattern, PIN, voice unlock, fingerprint unlock or iris unlock. Screen lock with just swipe unlock won’t work. Also, you must have added your Google account on this phone.
- On your desktop computer, use any web browser (preferably Chrome browser) and visit https://myaccount.google.com/security.
- Click on 2-step Verification (you must have enabled 2-step verification for your Google account previously). Scroll down and find Set up alternative second step, click on Add phone under Google Prompt.
- It will show a small informational window telling you what Google Prompt it and what it will do for you, click on Get Started to go proceed.
- Choose your Android phone from the list (if your phone is not in the list then that phone is not using your Google account or it does not have updated Google Play services). If screen lock is not enabled, it will ask you to enable it. Click Next to continue.
- It will send a Google sign-in prompt to your smartphone, you have to tap on Yes to confirm that the setup is working.
- On your desktop computer, it will show you whether the configuration of Google Prompt for your Google account has worked or not.
Conclusion: Google Prompt is a much easier 2-step verification option for your Google accounts. With Google Prompt enabled, you will no longer have to enter codes, you will be able to just tap on Yes to complete the 2-step verification process.