Google announced earlier this year that it is planning to forcefully transition as many of its users as possible to two-factor authentication (2FA). The company elaborated further in October, saying it was planning to auto-enroll 150 million Google accounts in 2FA by the end of the year. Now, with just two months left in the year, Android Police has found a few reports showing that the process has started, with some users finally being auto-enrolled in 2FA.
Two-factor authentication—which Google calls “two-step verification” or “2SV” for some reason—requires you to use something in addition to your password to log in to an account. Usually, this “something” is a code or confirmation prompt from a smartphone. You can also use a physical security key, like a USB stick. A username and password won’t be good enough anymore.