How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication on Gmail

Your Gmail password is the key to your email — and your email is often the key to everything else online, from your bank account to your social media. If someone gets hold of your password, two-factor authentication (2FA) stops them cold.

Two-factor authentication — sometimes called 2FA or two-step verification — means that logging in requires two things: something you know (your password) and something you have (usually your phone). Even if a scammer guesses or steals your password, they cannot get into your account without also having your phone.

Google offers several ways to confirm it is really you. The most convenient for most people is Google Prompt, which sends a tap-to-approve notification to your phone. If you do not have a smartphone, you can use a six-digit code texted to your phone number instead.

Setting this up takes about five to ten minutes. And you only have to do it once. After that, Gmail will remember your trusted devices so you are not asked to confirm every single time you log in from your own computer.

Here is what you will need before you start: - Your Google account email address and password - Your smartphone or a basic phone that can receive text messages - A few minutes of uninterrupted time

Once 2FA is turned on, you will see a second prompt the next time you sign in on a new device or browser. On your personal computer at home, you can check the box that says "Trust this device" so you are not asked again on that machine.

If you ever lose your phone, Google provides backup codes — a set of one-time-use codes you can print out and keep somewhere safe, like a desk drawer. We will cover that in the steps below.

Taking this one step today can prevent a great deal of heartache later. Scammers often target email accounts because resetting passwords for other services — banks, shopping sites, medical portals — often goes through email. Protecting your Gmail protects much more than just your messages.