[DisruptionOfSociety]

When I go to my google account on my computer. I go to setup 2FA. Now it's asking me to login onto my phone. I should be able to get a 2FA code from my computer to put into my google authenticator. I would have to log out of my computer account. What's the point of having to login into my google account from my computer. If it asks me to login into my phone. I'm confused. Maybe there is something I'm not understanding here. Google authenticator has two options: You first press Get Started:
Now here are the options
1. Scan a QR code.
2. Enter a setup key.

There is no options here to login to account.

Now I did some research on the google support community. I also posted there, I have yet to hear an answer. But when I researched codes. Here is the answer I got:

I get to this part


At the top, tap Security.

Under "Signing in to Google," tap 2-Step Verification. You may need to sign in.

Under "Backup codes," tap Continue .

There is no backup codes options. I even go to more option, and there is no back up codes option. I'm assuming I'm going to get a backup code on my desktop computer to enter into my google authenticator. But I'm not finding it? What is going on here? Is there a way to get that code?

I even posted this and researched this in other places. I'm not understanding why I can't setup 2FA and get the code to enter into the google authenticator. That's how it works. But I'm not getting the code.

 

[Stancestans]

I'm afraid you've got things twisted. 2FA works the other way around. You get a code from the (Google) Authenticator app on your phone and enter it on your computer when you log in to your Google account. For this to work, you must set up the Authenticator app on your phone first, so that it gets registered as the mobile device from which 2FA codes will be obtained.

1. On your computer, log in to your Google account via a browser and go to the 2-Step Verification page.
2. Click the right-pointing arrow > inside the Authenticator app section (see red arrow in image below).

3. Next, just click the Set up authenticator button.

4. Scan the QR code shown, using the Authenticator app then click Next.

5. As soon as the Authenticator app scans the code, it adds your Google account and starts generating codes that you can use for 2FA. To finish this set up, enter the 6-digit code as generated by the Authenticator app. Once the code has been verified, you're done with setting up the authenticator app for use with your Google account. You'll be presented with a view similar to the image below.

When you go back to the 2-step Verification page, you will see the Authenticator app is now among the available second steps.

That's all there is to it. When you sign out of your Google account on your computer then sign back in, you will be asked for a code from the Authenticator app.

 

[DisruptionOfSociety]

I just want to really thank you. Because of this I was able to setup 2FA. Here is the scoop. I wanted a smart phone that I kept offline only. Google wont let you setup 2FA without being logged into your phone first. As far as I know. The second thing is I didn't really know you can be signed up into multiple locations at the same time. With different computers and smart phones. So what I did was sign into my google account in vmware android 9. I went to my google account on my computer. And I followed the steps. When I was signed in vmware. It detected it when I was going through the steps on my google account through my web browser. When it got to scan my setup code. I just clicked can't scan it. Then I get the setup code, I failed to enter the setup code the right way the first time. Then I entered the setup code into my smart phone instead of vmware. And it worked. That was just for another google account on my vwmare.

After I was successful with that, I tried another google account and that worked. To keep something in mind. I had to save that setup code that it asks me to enter in. Because if I lose my phone I can enter that setup code into my google authenticator with a new phone.

I can get apps on my vmware by installing it and extracting it with universal extractor (the vdi file). Now if it brings up we found suspicious activity on your account again. I can enter the code from my authenticator. I had this problem before when I upgraded my web browser. It said we found suspicious activity on your account. And I had no sms because I didn't have a mobile phone service.

It will also bring up a suspicious activity prompt if you setup in android vmware for your first google account. It will do it twice. So the moral of the story is that google my flag your account with suspicious activity and it's important to secure your google account with google authenticator via this method. If you don't want your phone online. I don't know why however you have to be signed in into a android device to get the setup code although. But however, thanks for providing good instructions via images as well.

Oh yeah, I got the backup keys as well. I'm assuming those are if your phone is lost as well. But that method will have you setup a new authenticator setup key after you login with those back up keys. I think it's more important to save the setup key than the back up keys although.

 

[Stancestans]

On the contrary, the setup key won't do you any good on a new mobile device and you're fooling yourself by saving it. The backup codes are more helpful than the already stale setup key.

 

[DisruptionOfSociety]

On the contrary, the setup key won't do you any good on a new mobile device and you're fooling yourself by saving it. The backup codes are more helpful than the already stale setup key.

Why is that? When I first used google authenticator it wasn't for my google account. It was for other stuff. And that is what they sent you. Was a setup key to enter into your authenticator. And they told you to safe guard that setup key in a safe place. If something ever happens to your phone. So isn't that same thing that produces your google authenticator code. That setup key?

I did some research one reason is that the smart phone isn't sync'd properly with the real time. Also, you might have to do upgrades with the google authenticator app itself, maybe. Other than that I'm not sure what you mean.

 

[Stancestans]

Feel free to share your source of information that says to keep the setup key for reuse when setting up the authenticator app on another mobile device.

If something ever happens to your mobile phone, use the other 2FA options that don't required a mobile device, and If you haven't noticed, the backup codes and a physical security key are the only options that don't require a mobile device. All the other options (voice call/sms, Google Prompt and authenticator app) require a mobile device. Google says If you lose your phone, backup codes are helpful. You can read that yourself here Turn on 2-Step Verification - Computer - Google Account Help. Once you're signed in to your account (using a backup code for the second step), set up another mobile device through the same process I painstakingly demonstrated in post #2, or turn off 2FA altogether if you have no mobile device that can serve that purpose. The whole point of 2FA is to have a second step of verifying your identity (via a mobile device), so if there is no such device readily at hand, then there is no point in turning 2FA on. People have been locked out of their Google accounts permanently because they couldn't be bothered to setup additional account recovery and 2FA options.

Real-time sync is not needed. In fact, you don't even need internet access on the phone to get a valid 2FA code. The Authenticator app set up page clearly says "it works even if your phone is offline", so how do you suppose real-time sync (with what, a Google account server?) is achieved when the mobile device is offline?

Upgrading/updating the authenticator app does not erase its data unless you uninstall the app first, and that's not how apps are normally updated on Android, is it?