Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
- Google will soon ditch SMS codes for two-factor authentication for Gmail accounts.
- QR codes will be used instead of SMS codes.
- This change will reduce the impact of rampant, global SMS abuse.
SMS has long been replaced by RCS and instant messaging apps for our daily communication, but it’s still used in some niche functions. For instance, many services still allow SMS as a medium for two-factor authentication, even though two-factor authenticator apps and even app-less approaches are superior. If you’ve been relying on SMS to get into your Gmail account, here’s some bad (but good) news: Gmail is looking to ditch SMS codes for two-factor authentication.
Forbes quotes Gmail spokesperson Ross Richendrfer as suggesting that Google wants to move away from SMS messages for authentication.