Now you can use your iPhone as a 2FA key for Google apps
Two-factor authentication is a handy means of securing accounts, and now iPhone users are able to use their handsets as a security key for their Google accounts.
An update to the Google Smart Lock app brings the functionality to Apple fans, several months after the feature was made available to Android users. It's a security method that has been welcomed by many as it does not require the use of any additional hardware, just something you always tend to have with you -- your phone.
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When the time comes to log into a Google app or service, a push notification will be sent to your iPhone. You can then use the Google Smart Lock to authenticate the log-in, indicating that it was initiated by you with a quick tap.
On Twitter, Google cryptographer Filippo Valsorda explained that the feature makes use of the Secure Enclave of the iPhone chip:
It uses the Secure Enclave as a security key, it's pretty cool.
— Filippo Valsorda @filippo.abyssdomain.expert (@FiloSottile) January 14, 2020
With the latest update to the app, Google says:
With this new update, you can now set up your phone's built-in security key, the best second factor protection for your Google Account. We've also refreshed the app's design to make it easier to use.
You can download the Google Smart Lock app from the App Store.
Image credit: EugeneEdge / Shutterstock