Google warns all Android users to turn on extra feature before hackers attack – click blue button now
ANDROID users have been urged to enable an important setting or risk their bank accounts being emptied.
Google has packed its Android devices with a number of privacy and security tools that work to keep your data safe.
One of these tools includes Google Authenticator, which helps to further secure your online accounts.
Most people already use or know two-factor authentication, also known as 2FA.
2FA protects your accounts by requiring an extra level of verification before logging in – such as a text confirmation.
And while this is better than only using a lengthy password, sometimes hackers can get access to your messages.
For this reason, Google is recommending that people use its company’s built-in authenticator.
“Prevent hackers from accessing your account with an additional layer of security,” Google writes on its support page.
“When you sign in, 2-Step Verification helps make sure that your personal information stays private, safe, and secure,” the company added.
HOW DOES GOOGLE AUTHENTICATOR WORK?
Google Authenticator is a 2-step software-based system that is designed to replace SMS texts for your two-factor authentication.
So when you sign up or log in to a website, it’s the Google Authenticator that validates a login – rather than a text.
What’s more, users can still receive codes without an internet connection or mobile service.
SET UP GOOGLE AUTHENTICATOR
Getting set up on Google Authenticator is easy – simply down the app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
On your device, go to your Google Account > at the top, and tap the Security tab.
Under Signing in to Google, tap 2-Step Verification and then tap on the large blue Get Started button.
You may need to sign in, and then under the Authenticator app, tap Set up > follow the on-screen steps.
And for those of you who don’t have Android devices, you can still use Google Authenticator to keep your Gmail and other Google accounts safe.