Android already does a good job of handling verification codes, as long as they arrive by text message. Google Messages recognizes the one-time passwords in SMS and directly shows a button in the notification shade to copy them. Things get a bit more complicated when such one-time codes arrive over email, requiring more work to copy them. Thankfully, the Gmail app for Android and iOS is getting smarter and has begun offering a similar copy code shortcut.
Right now, if you receive an email with a one-time passcode, you must open the Gmail app, followed by the email. Then, you must manually find the code inside the email’s content and copy it from there.
The latest Gmail update for Android and iOS addresses this hassle by placing a “Copy code” button directly in the main inbox. The button appears beneath the subject line in the email preview. So you can copy a verification code without opening the message and then enter it in the desired app or website.
Gmail also surfaces the detected one-time passcode at the top within the email. The same copy code button sits beneath it. This ensures that if you open any one-time password email, you can quickly copy it without hunting for the code amid the brand’s instructions or other text.
In some cases, I noticed the copy code button appearing inside emails but not on the Gmail app’s home screen.
Unfortunately, right now the Gmail app does not show a copy code button right in the notification shade. That would make things even more convenient.
A small shortcut that saves several steps
In my testing, the “Copy code” button appeared for almost every one-time passcode I received over the last few days. However, it may not work with every email, as Gmail’s ability to detect a code likely depends on how the sender formats the message. Codes buried among other numbers or presented in an unusual format may not trigger the shortcut.
The feature is already live for me on the latest version of Gmail for Android and iOS. However, it does not appear that Google is rolling out a similar “Copy code” upgrade for one-time passwords for Gmail on the web.
In case you don’t see the feature yet, wait for a few more days and ensure you are running the latest build of the Gmail app on your phone.
While this is a minor addition, it is a welcome quality-of-life improvement that saves time and unnecessary taps. Hopefully, Google will bring the same convenience to Gmail notifications and the web, making email-based verification codes even easier to use.