Google’s two-step verification or authentication is not news at this time but still not used by most of the users. I also, was not caring about two-step verification at first but slowly I enabled two step verification for my all the important Google accounts. I have three different email Gmail accounts and all three have two-step verification enabled. You do not need three different mobiles for three different accounts to enable two-step. Users need awareness to use this security feature because this makes really harder for stealers to steal a password.

Using a strong password for your account is very recommended but remembering a strong password is not for everyone so LastPass is good to remember passwords. It is also very recommended to use different passwords for different accounts and Gmail like services are more important than other services. So enabling a two-step verification is not bad at all for a security concerned person.

Two-step verification adds an extra layer of security in your Google account.

Once you have successfully enabled 2-step verification, you will not be able to login to your account from a different computer or device, unless you provide verification code sent by Google to your mobile device as a message.

If you login to your Google account only from your home PC you can tell Google to ask for a verification code after 30 days otherwise you will be asked every time.

Once 2 step verification is set, you will be redirected to a page (see below screenshot) after entering your ID and password.

Here’s, how you can enable and setup two-step for your account. If you are logged in you can go directly https://www.google.com/settings/security or you can login to see this page, here you will see if this feature is on or off.

If it is not enabled click on edit, you will be redirected to an introduction page; there click on setup, a new page will open; here you have to setup your mobile phone for text message or voice call.
After entering your mobile number click on “send code”, you will receive a code on your mobile.

A code will be sent to your mobile phone and a new page will open where you have to enter the received code. After receiving the code enter it in new opened page and click on verify.

Now you are verified, you will be asked trust the current computer or not. If you trust your computer (a laptop or a PC in your room). For office PC or cyber café it is not recommended.

However, your account is still not 2 step enabled until next step. The next step you will conform to enable 2 step verification for your account.

After enabling this feature you will be asked for your password to test the 2 step. Here you will see some other option as if your mobile phone is lost, so you can get backup codes, setting application specific passwords and setting application for your mobile. There is an application “Google Authenticator”, so if your mobile career is not working you can use this app to get the code. This app is for available for Android, iOS and Blackberry devices.

For Android you can download and install this app here.

On this page you will see Mobile Application section, in this section, on right side you will see mobile device listed, you can click on the name of the device you own.

If you click on Android, you will see a barcode, now, as you have installed mobile app, you need to configure this app. In this app you will see scan account barcode, to scan a barcode you need a barcode scanner, if you do not have a barcode scanner app you will be asked to install one. Now using scanner you can scan the code you already have opened.

You can scan the code as one you can see above and your phone will be immediately verified. If you unable to scan a code you can add an account manually to this application. As you can see above screenshot, below the barcode there is a step if you can not scan a barcode, click on that link and you will see the further suggestion.

If you face any problem setting up 2 step or this app for Android device shoot me a comment.