How to add an additional security in your gmail account with 2-step verification

Today we are more concerned about the security of our online bank accounts, email accounts, face book accounts, but do you have any solution to this problem? Yes there are many solutions as described by experts to make your passwords complicated, don’t login on any computer which is publicly accessible, don’t click the checkbox remember me by mistake on a public computer and use virtual keyboard as much as possible, never login in front of other person.

                           Banks have already provided the solution for this problem and that is OTP (One Time Password) which is sent to your registered mobile number and by entering that password you can successfully complete your transactions, so simple, secure and easy solution to a very complicated problem, can this type of solution be implemented to an email service also? Yes Gmail has made it possible to enjoy this type of security option and this post is basically a tutorial which is intended to tell you the steps to implement that additional security to your gmail account.

                           In this type of approach after entering your basic username and password you will be forwarded to next page for second stage verification, it will send a code to your phone (One Time Password) and after entering and verifying that password on your account  you will finally enter wyour gmail account.

Steps to follow for adding an additional security feature to your gmail account

• ·     Go to settings by clicking on the settings option like this.

  

  Go to gmail settings
• ·     Go to Accounts and import tab and click on Other Google Account Settings in front of        change account settings.

  

  gmail accounts and import settings page

• ·   On the next page click on the security tab, you will see 2-step verification option as disabled if you have not already enabled it, in the picture you will see it as enabled,   because I have already enabled it. Press the settings link in front of disabled or enabled.

  

  gmail accounts settings security tab

• ·     On the next page you will be asked to add a primary number, so enter a number and save it it may ask you to verify your number it will send a code that you will have to enter in the textbox and verify.

  

  gmail security primary way to recieve codes
  
  
  

• ·   There is a option to add an backup phone to send code in case you are out and the primary phone is out of your reach, so in that case you can opt out to send the code to your back up phone and after second step OTP check you will enter into your account. 

  

  gmail security settings backup codes
  
  
  
  
  
• It will show an dialog box to enter the number and test it. You can check whether it’s working or not by clicking test it button and opting for an voice call or text message, after that you will receive a OTP and you will be asked to verify it by entering it.

  

  gmail security settings add backup phone dialog box

   
• ·    Gmail has thought of every aspect of this type of solution in case you have no phone with you at this time but you want to enter into your account then what will you do? Gmail has given a very good solution to this problem and that is printing of backup codes that you can use in the absence of your phones. You can see this option just below the backup phone above  in the figure.

  

  gmail security print backup codes

• ·    Additionally at the time of login from any computer you can opt for remembering of that computer by gmail and you can set it from inside also i.e. you can make remember or forget this computer or other computer by clicking on Registered Computers tab in the settings.

  

  gmail settings registered computers

·         I will tell you about app specific passwords in detail in my upcoming post.