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Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

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Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#91

Post by Gander5739 »

arjie wrote: post #58

I went through it to register just now. No QR code required. Same flow as it has been for years: 1. Personal/Child/Business 2. First/Last 3. Pick email 4. Date of Birth 5. Backup email / Skip 6. Password 7. Enter phone number 8. Confirm with 2FA code 9. Done. I just made the email testregistrationflow@gmail.com and have since forgotten the password. So that’s one burned. But feel free to try testregistrationflow1@gma…

When you create an account through google services on a phone, you don't even need a phone number.

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#92

Post by bborud »

8cvor6j844qw_d6 wrote: post #3

Recently helped a small business set up a Google Workspace account and we hit a wall during registration. Told the owners that if Google is already being difficult during signup, imagine being locked out later with client work on the line. Pulled up a few horror stories about Google lockouts to drive the point home. They ended up with another workspace solution.

This is why I have I have started planning to transition away from Gmail for all domains I manage. Gmail doesn't actually get any better as a product - just more annoying as they try to upsell me on crap I don't want or need. It gets a bit more shitty every year.

The sheer size of Gmail means I have zero chance for support even though I pay for a service. The risk is too great to be acceptable.

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#95

Post by lokar »

guidedlight wrote: post #63
arjie wrote: post #58

I went through it to register just now. No QR code required. Same flow as it has been for years: 1. Personal/Child/Business 2. First/Last 3. Pick email 4. Date of Birth 5. Backup email / Skip 6. Password 7. Enter phone number 8. Confirm with 2FA code 9. Done. I just made the email testregistrationflow@gmail.com and have since forgotten the password. So that’s one burned. But feel free to try testregistrationflow1@gma…

They should probably go back to the original invite only flow they used when Gmail launched. Every account having the ability to invite an only small finite number of new accounts is one way to thwart scammers.

It was not finite, or uniform. I refilled the invites every week or so based on user behavior.

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#96

Post by qingcharles »

goldenarm wrote: post #40
Aurornis wrote: post #23

> Supposedly, using the QR code on the smartphone triggers an SMS sent from your phone to Google in order to verify your phone number. Does anyone have a better source of information than this one forum comment from someone who thinks scanning a QR code is enough to get your phone to send a text message? EDIT: It’s just an SMS URI. It doesn’t automatically send anything, just opens a text message for you to send. Thi…

Regarding how easy simswap is in 2026, it's dangerously stupid from Google to rely on SMS

I wish it was. I've looked everywhere for several years for anyone offering this service so I can get into my 2004 Google account that they enabled SMS 2FA on one day, without any notice, but it has the wrong phone number. I have the username, password and the recovery email address is set to another I own too, but without the SMS code I'm hosed.

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#98

Post by deng »

dvh wrote: post #4

Any Gmail person can tell me why Gmail is tolerating Gmail phishing emails that use Google's own services (e.g. https://storage.googleapis.com/savelinge/ ... ? More info here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46665414

Google is fine with everything if it's their service. I've completely blocked *.bc.googleusercontent.com, because it's basically used as a spam farm for years now, but Google couldn't care less as they apparently can't be bothered to even slightly inconvenience their compute engine users.

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#99

Post by qingcharles »

CWwdcdk7h wrote: post #16

Last time YouTube wanted to verify my phone number it was easier to find a free service to receive SMS than for Google to deliver it to my actual phone. And Google didn't care I "verified" a number assigned to other side of the world.

What happens when they ask for you to get another code to that same number, though? Can you access that number again?

Re: Gmail registration now requires scanning a QR code and sending a text message

#100

Post by saaaaaam »

I tried to create a new gmail address recently because my primary gmail address is my name, and it's quite common, so I get more email for other people than I get for me.

My phone number - which I've had for about 15 years and have only ever used for personal purposes (minimal SMS, mainly just an iMessage/Whatsapp ID) - is apparently "not eligible" to create a new gmail account. Which is quite strange.

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