Google is testing a new feature in the Gmail email application for smartphones, which allows users to copy verification codes received via email directly from the inbox, without having to open the message.
The new feature appears in the form of a button bearing the phrase (Copy code) next to the verification code below the message title. Once pressed, the code is automatically copied to the phone’s clipboard so that the user can paste it directly into the application or site he requests.
This step shortens several procedures that were previously required, as the user had to open the email message, search for the verification code, then select and copy it, before returning to the required service to enter it.
The 9to5Google website monitored the feature’s operation with messages containing verification codes from stores and banking services, which indicates Gmail’s ability to automatically recognize verification codes within some messages and display them as a direct shortcut in the inbox.
The “Copy code” button began to appear on “Android” devices with version (2026.09.07.x) of the “Gmail” application, and on “iPhone” devices with version (6.0.260907), while the feature is still not available on the web version.
This step comes within the framework of efforts to facilitate the use of two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, which represent an additional layer of protection for accounts in addition to passwords, noting that other means of verification include text messages, code-generating applications such as (Google Authenticator), and security keys.
In the same context, Passkeys technology allows login using security methods such as fingerprint, facial recognition, or device lock code, as a potential alternative to passwords in the services it supports.
In conclusion, Google alerts users to the need not to share verification codes with others, in order to avoid fraudulent attempts that target these codes to gain unauthorized access to accounts.
