Gmail will soon switch away from SMS codes in favor of QR codes (Updated: More details)
Users will have to scan a QR code to authenticate themselves, protecting them from phishing as there is no code to share.
- 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.
Update, February 25, 2025 (04:05 AM ET): Google has shared more details with us on how this move away from SMS codes would work. In some instances, users will send an SMS to a Google number instead of Google sending an SMS code to the user. Read our linked article for more details.
Original article, February 24, 2025 (06:47 AM ET): SMS has long been replaced by RCS and instant messaging apps for our daily communication, but it’s still used in some niche functions.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.
