Troubleshoot 2-Step Verification

Users should see Frequently asked questions for answers to common user questions.

The Google Apps Service Level Agreement does not apply to any services used in connection with 2-Step Verification if the verification process relies on third-party voice or data providers to deliver the verification code.

Account Recovery and Support for Administrators

What editions of Google Apps is 2-Step Verification available in?

2-Step Verification is currently available for Google Apps for Work, Education, Government, and Google Apps (free version).

Enforcement and access to user backup codes are available to Google Apps for Work, Education, and Government but not Standard edition.

My user lost their phone, and is locked out of their account.

Instruct your user to use one of their backup codes to sign in.

Backup codes are provided on their Sign-in verification page when they enroll in 2-Step Verification. These act as backup one-time passwords for use in case they lose their phone. We strongly suggest users to print or write down these codes and store them securely.

If your user has lost their phone and doesn't have their backup code, you can obtain a backup code for them via: Admin console > Users > (select user) > Security > Show backup verification codes

I'm a Google Apps administrator, and I'm locked out of my account.

If you've lost your phone, and you don't have your backup codes, and you don't have access to a device that you've accessed your Google Account from via 2-Step Verification in the last month, you should contact another administrator on the domain whom will be able to provide backup codes to you.

If you're still unable to access your account, have another Google Apps administrator contact Google via the Google Apps direct contact channel. They will need to provide their customer PIN which is in their Google Apps control panel under the Support tab.

If another Google Apps administrator is not available, you can try to recover your account by following the account recovery steps by clicking "Need Help?" on admin.google.com.

Will 2-Step Verification work with my company's single sign-on (SSO) service?

If SAML single sign-on (SSO) is enabled for your domain Google's 2-Step Verification will not apply when logging on through your SSO. Super Administrators, however, will continue to sign in using Google authentication and therefore can, and should, use Google's 2-Step Verification. See SAML SSO Service for Google Appsfor additional details on using SSO for your domain.

Account Support for End Users

The URL https://www.google.com/accounts/SmsAuthConfig doesn't take me to the 2-Step Verification setup page.

If this link isn't working, or if it just takes you to a Google Accounts page that you can't sign in to, follow these steps to enable 2-Step Verification for your account:

The URL https://www.google.com/accounts/IssuedAuthSubTokens doesn't take me to the application-specific passwords page.

Follow these steps to access your application-specific password page.

See Frequently asked questions for additional answers to user questions.