Overview
This article provides answers to frequently asked questions about using 2-Step Verification with sponsored Binghamton University email accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question not answered here, please submit your question to ITS using our form or contacting the Information Technology Services Help Desk at helpdesk@binghamton.edu or 607-777-6266.
Can my sponsored Google Workspace account be permanently exempted from the 2-Step Verification requirement?
No. 2-Step Verification is required for all Binghamton University email accounts.
Can I use a different option than my personal cell phone as 2SV for the sponsored account?
All Google 2-Step options are available including: text message, voice call, mobile device prompt, authenticator app, hardware key, and backup codes.
Will I need to verify with a second step every time I log into the sponsored account?
No. Once you use 2-Step Verification on your device the device is recognized. You will need to use the second step if you log in from a different device or browser, clear your browser cache or if Google detects something unusual about your login. You should be prepared to provide your second step but it should not frequently disrupt your access on a remembered device.
The sponsored account is used as part of an automated system. Will the 2SV requirement disrupt the processing of email?
In most cases, it should not disrupt the process. If the sponsored account is part of an automated process that uses saved authentication the change to 2SV requirement should not disrupt the processing of emails and should not require any action from you.
How can multiple people check and respond to email messages sent to the sponsored account without using the password and 2nd Step?
Multiple users can access the email messages using delegation. This keeps the password secure as personnel changes and provides insight to who has access to the messages.
Can I check a sponsored account on a mobile device as a delegate?
No. The delegate menu is not available in the Gmail mobile app.
Can I check a delegated account in Microsoft Outlook?
Yes. If you use Google Workspace Sync for Microsoft Outlook, you can add delegated accounts. Here is a link to some instructions.
I don’t want to check multiple accounts. Can copies of messages sent to a sponsored account be automatically forwarded to another person or group?
Gmail messages can automatically forward to one user or group address. Messages can be forwarded to multiple recipients using filters.
Can I send from a sponsored account address in my own account in order to use Mail Merge or other email features not available with my delegate access?
Yes. You can add any account you can access as a Send As account in your Google settings. You should verify that the sponsor approves of adding this feature to your individual account.
Can I transfer my sponsored account to a different sponsor?
Yes, Contact the ITS Help Desk to transfer sponsorship to someone else for you.
How can multiple people access the calendar associated with the sponsored account?
Anyone with “Make Changes and Manage Sharing” permissions to a calendar can share access with others. For continuity, events can be added to a calendar owned by a sponsored account. Calendar managers do not need to log in to the sponsored account to maintain the calendar and events.
My sponsored account is connected to a Zoom account. How does that work if I am a delegate?
Zoom accounts connected to sponsored email accounts use a separate Zoom password. Zoom meetings can have alternate hosts to access meetings with their own accounts.
How can delegates access the Google Drive documents stored in a sponsored account?
When working with a sponsored account only the sponsor of that account can fully sign into the account to access its Google Drive. If you have been given ‘delegated’ access to a mailbox, you only have access to the mailbox and will not have direct access to the sponsored account’s Google Drive and the files shared within
If you only have delegated mailbox access to a sponsored account, files will need to be shared with your individual Binghamton University account so you can access them in Google Drive. One suitable option is to store files on a Google Shared Drive. These work slightly differently to files that are stored and shared from ‘My Drive’. When a file is stored in a Shared Drive, files are owned by the Drive itself, rather than an individual file owner. This means that when someone leaves, files/folders will not be deleted. Members can be added and removed at any time, to ensure only the relevant people have access.
As well as members of the Shared Drive having access to all files within it, it's also possible to share just specific files/folders with ‘non-members’. If, for example, you work with other teams who share files with a sponsored account, you could create a folder within a Shared Drive and share that folder with someone else (a ‘non-member’). They could then place files into that folder so they are directly added into the Shared Drive and automatically accessible by all members. Note that if someone is given access to a folder, they will be able to see other files stored in that folder. For this to work, Managers of a Shared Drive must ensure the Shared Drive settings (right-click on a Shared Drive to access) has the setting ‘People who aren't shared drive members can be added to files’ checked.
One notable exception: if you use Google Forms that use a ‘File Upload’ question type, this form can not be saved in a Shared Drive. The ‘File Upload’ question will only work when saved in the ‘My Drive’ of an account.
How can I attach Google Drive files to email messages when using a delegated account?
When you need to attach files saved in Google Drive from a Delegated inbox, you will not see the ‘Google Drive’ icon when composing an email. Instead, you can access the file via your own Google Drive, get the link and paste it into an email.
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Start composing an email via the Delegated inbox.
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On another tab on your internet browser, go to Google Drive.
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Use the search box at the top to search for a file, or navigate to the relevant Drive folder.
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Right click on the file and select Get link. At this point, check that the Sharing settings are set up to ensure the recipient can view the file; either by adding an individual address, or changing the ‘Get link’ options to turn on link-sharing.
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On the Get link section of the sharing window, select Copy link.
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Go back to the tab where your inbox is open. Add some descriptive text for the link in your email and highlight it. Select the ‘Link’ icon in the email composer (or use CTRL+K (Windows)/Command+K (Mac)). Right click on the URL entry box and select Paste. Press OK.
This will give the user a link to click to view the files from Google Drive. This is a safer way than downloading and directly attaching files, as this method means that access can be removed or altered at any time using the usual Google Drive sharing options for that file.
Are there any other options for a single point of contact for my organization or group besides a sponsored email account?
Google Group addresses can be created as a single point of contact for your department, project or group. Setting up the group to allow anyone on the Internet to send will allow anyone to send a message that will be received by all the members of the group. Google offers a Collaborative Inbox feature that will let the group members organize messages so that all of the members know what emails have been handled and don't struggle with everyone or no one responding.
If you would like assistance, please feel free to contact the Binghamton University ITS Help Desk at 607-777-6420 or Submit a Request, and we'll be happy to help.
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