Google Doing Away With SMS Codes for Gmail Authentication

Gmail users will soon see a big change in the way their accounts are secured and how their two-factor authenticated logins are handled. Google is planning to stop sending 2FA codes via text message to verify Gmail accounts in favor of security tools such as passkeys and QR codes that users would scan with their devices. Google is finding that using SMS messaging for 2FA has become increasingly problematic as scammers and fraudsters use the technology to spoof user accounts. The news was first reported by Forbes. Ross Richendrfer, head of security and privacy public relations at Google, confirmed the report to CNET. "Just like we want to move past passwords with the use of things like passkeys, we want to move away from sending SMS messages for authentication," he said. According to Richendrfer, over the next few months, Google will be "reimagining" how the company verifies phone numbers. Gmail and other Google services will shift from texting six-digit codes over SMS to sending a Q ... Read full article.