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From: VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH>
Newsgroups: comp.mobile.android
Subject: Re: Google will no longer send SMSs with six digit codes for verification
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2025 14:43:30 -0600
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"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

> On 2025-03-05 02:45, VanguardLH wrote:
>> Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote:
>> 
>>> VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:
>>> [...]
>>>
>>>> Not relevant to my statement of having to wait for SMS messages (text or
>>>> QR image content) nor there is no guaranteed delivery of SMS messages.
>>>>
>>>> To where is the SMS message sent?  To the phone.  Okay, I'll see an SMS
>>>> message with a QR image.  Then what?  Do SMS apps have embedded scanning
>>>> of the content of SMS messages to then use an embedded QR decoder to
>>>> show the text embedded in the image (which obviates the whole point of
>>>> supposedly securing the text string in an image) that I then have to
>>>> copy/paste into some web prompt?
>>>
>>>    AFAICT, "an SMS message with a QR image" is a figment of your
>>> imagination!
>>>
>>>    I think such a thing is not mentioned anywhere and not even implied
>>> anywhere.
>> 
>> The delivery mechanism is defined where?
>> 
>>>    The referenced articles mention that *use* of a code in an SMS message
>>> will be replaced by *use* of a QR code, but that does not mean that the
>>> QR code is *in* an SMS message. (I think that would be obvious, because
>>> an SMS message is too small to hold a QR code, not to mention that it
>>> can only hold character data, not binary data.)
>> 
>> I figured it could be MMS (Multimedia Messaging) instead of SMS (Short
>> Message Service).  MMS can be used to send pictures.  I have automatic
>> downloads of MMS disabled in my messaging apps.
>> 
>> However, upon some further reading, Google Prompts looks to use
>> notifications instead of SMS/MMS messages.  Maybe.
>> 
>>>    So perhaps it's best to come up with an actual quote from the
>>> referenced articles, which leads you to your assumption, instead of
>>> going on and on about something which is very likely a straw man / red
>>> herring.
>> 
>> That's the crux of the problem: there are no details on how QR images by
>> whatever delivery mechanism are to get decoded into strings by the user
>> to input into a waiting field.  All of us are just guessing for now what
>> are the possibilities.
> 
> You are imagining it wrong. You try to login on your computer; the 
> computer displays a picture, the phone takes a photo. There are no SMS 
> involved, no conversions, no fields to complete. Just point and shoot, 
> done. Instantly.
> 
> Same as currently done to login to wasap on the computer. The same 
> system. Known and tested.

No, not when logging into my computer.  Google isn't involved in me
logging into my computer.  It's logging into a web site (Gmail), or when
Google wants to [re]validate my phone number.  Still a question which
the QR image will be used for.  Franks says phone number (device)
validation.  Online articles mention when signing in to a web site, even
the Google article cited below.

Since this QR stuff revolves around smart phones, why would my computer
be involved?  Google wants to tie a phone number to my Google account.
Phone, not computer.  Why would my computer be getting a message from
Google about my phone?  And how would Google send that message to my
computer which is not a phone and has no cellular service?  My computer
may be off.  Like many users, they only have a smartphone, not a
computer.  My computer is connected to the Internet.  What if my ISP is
down to the computer, but my cellular carrier is up to the phone?

If SMS is not involved (on the phone, not my computer since it is not a
phone nor use any cellular service) then notifications are involved (on
the phone), and notifications are from an app or service (on the phone).
I doubt Google Prompts would be using email.

Google Prompts are using Google Play Services and Google Assistant (the
search bar on the home screen) running on your phone, not your computer.
Those connect to your account, not to your computer.

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/7026266

Phone, not computer.  Google Prompts requires your PHONE to have wifi or
cellular data access to the Internet for Play Services to connect to
your account.  I'm not sure if Play Services or Google Assistant display
the notification.  Your PHONE needs to be logged into your Google
account from where the message originates that is sent to your phone
when polled by Play Services (unless there is some push mechanism).

If SMS is not involved with Google Prompts then there is connection
between Google Play Services on your phone and your Google account.
However, iPhone (iOS) users are told to just download the Google App
(aka Google Assistant) to utilize Google Prompts which makes it look
like the Google app is phoning home to detect the message which it then
displays as a notification.  If it's the Google app doing all the work
to retrieve and display notifications, Google's scheme won't work
without the Google app (for iOS), or if it is disabled (for Android).

https://www.androidauthority.com/google-prompt-fingerprint-pin-authentication-3522306/

Yet that article says Google Play Services is involved in Google
Prompts, but that won't be on an iPhone, just the Google App if an
iPhone user installs it.  Maybe the iOS Google App has functionality
built into it that on Android is shared between Google App and Google
Play Services.