Google simplifies enabling 2FA, no longer requires phone number

Google has announced it is simplifying the process of enabling the 2-step verification process, making it easy for users to increase their account security. The tech giant said that instead of entering your phone number, you will now be able to use a ‘second step method’ such as Google Authenticator or use a hardware key before enabling the 2-factor authentication.

Compared to the previous implementation, the new way is more secure as it eliminates the risk of bad actors getting access to your one-time passwords from SMS. In the last few years, SMS 2FA has proven to be a less secure method of delivering one-time passwords as it is subject to security exploits like phone cloning.