Set up 2-Step Verification in Gmail

Important Notice Regarding Campus Email

Buffalo State is transitioning student email services from Gmail to Outlook email as part of a Microsoft 365 upgrade. This legacy article is intended for students accepted BEFORE Fall 2023 who still have Google accounts. Students accepted for the Fall 2023 semester (or later) will not receive Google accounts, and will access email through Outlook via Microsoft 365 using their Network credentials.

Students who currently have Google accounts will be moved to Outlook on Monday, May 22nd, 2023. These students will keep access to their Google account for one full year after the switch (until the summer of 2024), but new email will only be accessible from Outlook

For more information on this project, please visit the Student Email Project page and the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Students are encouraged to turn on 2-Step Verification for their Gmail accounts. With 2-Step Verification, you’ll protect your account with both your password and your phone, adding an extra layer of security that prevents unauthorized access to your account. You can setup 2-Step Verification now by following these steps. 

  1. Go to https://myaccount.google.com and sign-in with your Buffalo State email credentials. 
  2. Select Security from the left navigation pane.

Click Security

  1. In the Signing in to Google section, click 2-Step Verification.

Click 2-Step Verification

  1. On the next screen, click Get Started. You'll be prompted to re-enter your email password. Click Next.

Click Get Started

  1. On the Let's set up your phone screen, enter your phone number and choose how you want to receive the verification code (Text message or Phone call).

Enter your phone number

  1. On the Confirm that it works screen, enter the verification code that you received and click Next.

Enter verification code

  1. On the Turn on 2-Step Verification screen, click Turn On. This completes the setup process. 

Click Turn On

After completing the 2-Step Verification enrollment process, you'll be prompted to enter your password AND a verification code (i.e., the "second step") anytime you sign-in to Gmail from a computer/browser that you are using for the first time. After the initial sign-in, the computer will be "trusted" and will no longer prompt for approval the next time you sign-in to Gmail. For more information on Google 2-Step Verification visit: www.google.com/landing/2step

Please Note: For additional security/protection, learn how to set up the Microsoft Authenticator app for Gmail
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