Common questions with Advanced Protection Program

Advanced Protection adds enhanced security features to your Google Account.

• Defends against phishing and account hacking: Security keys are widely considered the best way to verify and protect your account. Even if a hacker gets your password, they can’t sign into your account without your security key.
• Safeguards your data: Advanced Protection limits the third-party sites and apps that can access your data.
• Blocks hackers from impersonating you to access your account: If anyone tries to recover your account, Advanced Protection takes extra steps to verify your identity.

With 2-Step Verification, you sign in with:

• Your password
• A second step, like entering a code from an app or tapping a prompt on your phone

Advanced Protection helps secure sensitive accounts even more. With Advanced Protection, you sign in with:

• Your password
• A security key that helps further protect your account from phishing. A security key is a small device that connects to your devices either through USB ports or wireless via NFC or Bluetooth. Your phone may also have a built-in security key. 

In addition, Advanced Protection limits which third-party apps can access your data and tightens account recovery security to prevent unauthorized users from getting access to your account.

Advanced Protection uses security keys because they’re one of the most secure second steps for 2-Step Verification. You'll use a security key the first time you sign-in to your Google Account on a new device.

Our research shows that security keys are more effective at stopping hackers than any other common methods.

We recommend a primary key and at least one backup USB key. Keys can be purchased from Google or a trusted retailer. Learn more about ordering security keys.

If you still have account access:

1. Get one or more replacement security keys.
2. Go to your Google Account.
3. On the left navigation panel, click Security.
4. In the Signing in to Google panel, click 2-Step Verification.
5. Click Add security key. Add your new security keys.
6. Next to the lost security key, select Edit Remove this key.

If you don't have account access:

1. Submit a request to recover your account. It will take a few days for Google to verify it’s you.
2. While you wait, order one or more replacement security keys.
3. You'll get an email to your recovery email address to let you know when you can access your account again. After you get that notification, sign in to your account.
4. Turn on Advanced Protection again.

You should keep your security key with you any time you might need to sign in on a new device.

If you're traveling, bring your security key with you. If you’re bringing a Bluetooth security key, you may want to charge it before you leave.

You’ll be able to sign into your Google Account on Google apps and only in the Chrome browser (on desktop and mobile web). You won’t be able to use your Google Account with some apps and services that require access to your emails and Google Drive data.

You can still sign into apps and services with Google. If they request access to your Gmail or Drive data, access will be denied.

Tip: You can use an additional code to give some supported apps access to your Gmail or Drive data.

Currently, Nest doesn't work with Google Accounts that are enrolled in Advanced Protection. We are working to address this issue. For now, you can migrate your Nest account to a Google Account that is not enrolled in Advanced Protection or control your Nest devices using the hardware.

Advanced Protection stops most non-Google apps and services from accessing your Google Drive and Gmail data. That way, your data is better protected against harmful or unsecure access.

After you turn on Advanced Protection, you can allow these apps and services to access your Google data:

• All Google apps and services
• Apple Mail, Calendar, and Contacts apps on iOS
• Mozilla Thunderbird

Let non-Google Apps access your Google data

Apple apps on iOS

You can use a temporary code to let some Apple apps access your Gmail and some other Google Account data.

Mozilla Thunderbird

You can use Mozilla Thunderbird to access your Gmail. Make sure you’re using the latest version of Thunderbird (60.0 or up).

You can use Advanced Protection with a Mac running macOS 10.5 or above.To add a security key, use the following steps:

• On your computer, go to System Preferences.
• Click Internet AccountGoogle.
• Follow the instructions to sign in.

No. Apps that use App passwords instead of 2-Step Verification are blocked for users with Advanced Protection.

You might not be signed in to the Google Account that was invited to Advanced Protection.

If you’re signed in with multiple accounts, sign out of all other accounts. After you've set up Advanced Protection, you can sign back into your other accounts.

To register your Bluetooth key on your computer, use the USB cable to connect the key to your computer.

1. On your Linux computer, go to Yubico's U2F Github page.
   • Udev version 187 and lower: Go to Yubico's old U2F Github page.
2. Find and download 70-u2f.rules.
3. Open the Linux directory /etc/udev/rules.d/.
4. Add 70-u2f.rules to the directory.
   • If the directory already has a file with this name, open the file. Check that the content is the same as the one you downloaded.
5. Save your file, and reboot your system.

If Safe Browsing can’t confirm that a download is safe, Chrome warns you that the file could be harmful.

Continue a download that was blocked by Chrome

Important: To protect your account and sensitive data, do not download files you’re warned about unless you’re certain that they’re safe.

On the pop-up about the blocked download, select Up arrowKeep.

If a file is known to be harmful, Safe Browsing won’t allow you to download it.

On your Android phone or tablet, turn on Bluetooth. If your security key still won't connect, temporarily turn on Location Services when you use your security key.

You can turn Advanced Protection off in your Google Account.

After you turn on Advanced Protection, follow these steps to sign in to your Android TV:

1. Remove your Google Account from your Android TV.
2. Add your Google Account to your Android TV again and choose the option to set up using a phone that's on the same Wi-Fi network.