Gmail is to ditch the use of SMS codes for authentication purposes, a Google spokesperson said. Here’s what you need to know.

Google has shared more details around its plans on replacing SMS codes with QR codes for user authentication. Read on for the details!

In an effort to curb global SMS scams, Google is planning to shift away from SMS two-factor authentication. Instead, Google will prompt users to scan a QR code to authenticate their phone numbers instead.

Gmail users will soon see a big change in the way their accounts are secured and how their two-factor authenticated logins are handled. Google is planning to stop sending 2FA codes via text message to verify Gmail accounts in favor of security tools such as passkeys and QR codes that users would scan with their devices.

Gmail will soon ditch SMS codes for two-factor authentication, and use QR codes instead. This will reduce the impact of global SMS abuse.

SMS codes have long been less secure than other forms of authentication. With QR codes, Google aims to reduce users' dependency on carriers for account verification.

Currently, Google sends SMS codes for two reasons: to confirm that a new login is legitimate and to block spammers from opening Gmail accounts in bulk. You type in your credentials, and a moment later,