I recently turned on two-factor authentication for my relatively rarely but still occasionally used Google account. In the screenshot below, at the very top of the page, Google sure makes it seem like I need to finally add that phone number that Google has been <i>begging</i> me for ... for, gosh, it's gotta be <i>decades</i> by now. Now, they're not just begging me, but are <i>outright lying to me</i> that I will no longer be able to use my account unless I divulge my phone number. <img src="{att_link}is_a_phone_number_required_for_two-step_verification.png" href="{att_link}is_a_phone_number_required_for_two-step_verification.png" align="none" caption="Is a phone number required for two-step verification?" scale="30%"> I don't wanna add a phone number, so I'll click the other button to "Turn on 2-Step Verification." <img src="{att_link}phone_number_required_to_add_two-step_verification.png" href="{att_link}phone_number_required_to_add_two-step_verification.png" align="none" caption="Phone number required to add two-step verification" scale="30%"> Huh. It <i>really</i> looks like I need to add a phone number, right? At this point, only a stubborn, ornery, contrary sonofabitch would think otherwise. Time to give up, I guess. Oh, wait. I <i>am</i> one of them there stubborn, ornery, <i>and</i> contrary sonsofbitches. For shits and giggles, let's try scrolling down the page. <img src="{att_link}authenticator_app_is_available_below_the_fold.png" href="{att_link}authenticator_app_is_available_below_the_fold.png" align="none" caption="Authenticator app is available below the fold" scale="30%"> Well, well, well. It turns out that there <i>are</i> other options. Let's set up the authenticator app that I use for a lot of other accounts. Beep. 🤖 Boop. 📟 Blort. ☑️ Done. Is two-factor authentication enabled after I've added a second factor? Nope. You still have to "enable" it. I wonder why that would be? <img src="{att_link}add_a_phone_number_can_now_be_skipped.png" href="{att_link}add_a_phone_number_can_now_be_skipped.png" align="none" caption="Add a phone number can now be skipped" scale="30%"> Oh. Duh. It's so that they can try <i>one last time</i> to force me to add a phone number. Even though I've just added a two-factor option, Google still pretends that I need to add a phone number in order to be able to turn on two-factor verification. Note that the dialog looks almost the same, except that there's now a "Skip" button between the "Cancel" and "Next" buttons. 🖱 Click "Skip". <img src="{att_link}continue_without_a_phone_number.png" href="{att_link}continue_without_a_phone_number.png" align="none" caption="Continue without a phone number" scale="50%"> Wow. This is just pathological. Google, buddy. You need help. Just let it go. <img src="{att_link}two-step_verification_enabled.png" href="{att_link}two-step_verification_enabled.png" align="none" caption="Two-step verification enabled" scale="50%"> Would you look at that. I guess two-factor verification <i>does</i> work without a phone number. I bet you feel pretty stupid about your overblown histrionics now, don't you, Google? What's that? You say that 99.9% of your users ended up handing over their phone number under duress? I am not surprised. <h>Coda</h> At the top of the page, though, I still seem to have a problem with my account. <img src="{att_link}you_(still)_have_security_recommendations.png" href="{att_link}you_(still)_have_security_recommendations.png" align="none" caption="You (still) have security recommendations" scale="30%"> I wonder what might be wrong now? I just cleared up the missing two-factor verification. You will no doubt be utterly unsurprised to find out the reason. We all know what it is. <img src="{att_link}the_problem_is_..._missing_phone_number.png" href="{att_link}the_problem_is_..._missing_phone_number.png" align="none" caption="The problem is ... a missing phone number" scale="30%"> Go away, Google. Just go off in your corner and enshittify out of my sight.