Gemini Verification Questions?

[jerry0]

I created an account on gemini.  When i went to verify my account, it says you have to send in verification documents.  The first step however is they require a cell number for verification.  I thought there was no issue since i always use my google voice number.  I done this with coinbase and other sites that require sms verification.  I got an error message that says gemini does not allow voip number as verification and has to be sms based.  First off, i do not have a regular us cell number.  I use google voice as when im using wifi, i can call/receive call and make text/receive text without issues etc.


I spoke to someone else who mentioned when they created a gemini account, they used authy as their 2fa to log in etc and never was required to input a phone number for verification.  He said he created an account few months ago and i did it similar to around then.  To those of you who created gemini account, do you recall if they ever asked you to put a cell number to receive a code before you could use the account?  The other thing is if you did, did they ever require you to put that number in again whether its log in or cash out from gemini to bank account?


Does anyone know if there is an issue for me to put someone elses cell number for verification for gemini, and then once i do that, i just use my authy or google authenticator as my verification?  I do not have a sms based us cell number at the moment.  Everything i do is with google voice when i have wifi.

[jerry0]

Gemini tells me i need to use an sms number to get verfiication.  They said google voice number won't work nor any other voip.  However, does anyone know if this is a 1 time thing or not?  Thus if you use authy to log in as 2fa, do you need that number that you used to receive the sms verification code?  Because authy is connected to a cell number right?  So authy has to be connected to that exact number or not?


Thus could i use a number for sms verification.  But then use my authy on my phone to log in?  Does authy have to be connected to a phone number or not?  Or its only email?

[chris200x9]

Gemini tells me i need to use an sms number to get verfiication.  They said google voice number won't work nor any other voip.  However, does anyone know if this is a 1 time thing or not?  Thus if you use authy to log in as 2fa, do you need that number that you used to receive the sms verification code?  Because authy is connected to a cell number right?  So authy has to be connected to that exact number or not?


Thus could i use a number for sms verification.  But then use my authy on my phone to log in?  Does authy have to be connected to a phone number or not?  Or its only email?

Currently, I'm using SMS verification for my account so each time if I need to login then I need to enter the code received in SMS. To answer your question once you set up your Authy to your account then later on you no need of mobile to log in.

Yes, Authy is connected to your phone number. When you first install authy app they will give you two option to verify your phone either through SMS or through a call.

[jerry0]

Hi thanks for the response.  Are you from the US?  Also, so for now you are using sms verification.  But did you already send them verification documents and already verified with gemini?  So now you log in, you use sms as 2fa verification.  But are you going to use authy later on and not use the sms anymore?  I read that authy is much better than sms.  You could also use google authy right?


Okay so if you switch to authy and no longer have access to the cell number you used to verify with sms, could you still use authy or not is basically my main question to log into your gemini account.  Thus let say after you use a real sms number with authy to do verification... then you no longer have access to it.  Could you still log into gemini without an active phone number or not?  What if you change the number?  What if you change the number to a google voice number?

[chris200x9]

Are you from the US? 

NO, I'm not from USA.

Also, so for now you are using sms verification.  But did you already send them verification documents and already verified with gemini?  So now you log in, you use sms as 2fa verification.  But are you going to use authy later on and not use the sms anymore?  I read that authy is much better than sms.  You could also use google authy right?

Yes, I'm using SMS verification method to log in.

Yes, I sent my verification documents and they took more than a month to verify my account.

I just downloaded Authy but not yet using because I didn't deposit money into exchange yet.

Yes, I too think Authy is better. Since my SMS are free so currently I'm using it and later on I will consider switching to authy option.

I didn't see an option to use google authenticator to use.

[jerry0]

Okay would like advice on this.  Could i get say a cheap sim card from the us.. say lycamobile for 1 dollar online.  Then i activate my lycamobile sim on my iphone in the US to receive that sms number?  But would i need a plan for it or not?  I only need to do it for account verification.


But after this, would i still need this same phone number to log in everytime?  Or could i use google authy or authy from later on and i no longer need the same sms number i used to activate it?


Because im out of the US most of the time, so the us number lycamobile won't work outside the US.  Because with coinbase, i know a google voice number sms there are no issues.  But gemini does not accept a voice over ip number.  So how do you guys use gemini outside the US then?

[squatter]

Okay would like advice on this.  Could i get say a cheap sim card from the us.. say lycamobile for 1 dollar online.  Then i activate my lycamobile sim on my iphone in the US to receive that sms number?  But would i need a plan for it or not?  I only need to do it for account verification.

You need a plan for SIM service. You should be able to do that as long as you get the correct SIM card type and the correct voice+text plan. However, I've heard nothing but bad things about Lycamobile. They have an F rating with the Better Business Bureau.

You might consider buying a prepaid burner phone for a one-time verification.

But after this, would i still need this same phone number to log in everytime?  Or could i use google authy or authy from later on and i no longer need the same sms number i used to activate it?

I'm pretty sure it's only for identity verification. After that, you can -- and should -- use a TOTP app for logins.

Because im out of the US most of the time, so the us number lycamobile won't work outside the US.  Because with coinbase, i know a google voice number sms there are no issues.  But gemini does not accept a voice over ip number.  So how do you guys use gemini outside the US then?

Lycamobile does have plans with international roaming. I have no experience with that, though. I rarely leave the states.

[jerry0]

Okay so say i use the sim card and a number to receive text with the code to verify my account.


Could i then use google authenticator or authy afterwards?  The other thing is either of those require it to be connected to phone number right?  I believe so.  If thats the case, then i could use my google voice number?  Because i believe gemini said it has to be the same number used to verify account.  So they are incorrect?

[squatter]

Okay so say i use the sim card and a number to receive text with the code to verify my account.

Could i then use google authenticator or authy afterwards?

Yes. Linking your cell phone number with SMS is just their first KYC step. After that, you can use Authy's mobile app to get seed-based one-time passwords.

The other thing is either of those require it to be connected to phone number right?  I believe so.  If thats the case, then i could use my google voice number?  Because i believe gemini said it has to be the same number used to verify account.  So they are incorrect?

Your default 2FA when you set up your account uses the same number. You should be able to change the 2FA method in your account settings. As mentioned, you can use the Authy app, which works offline -- no internet/phone number/SMS required. Here's a blog Gemini published about it:

Gemini uses the Authy service for 2FA. Authy is an independent cloud service called on to perform secondary verification once we have checked that a customer has provided correct login credentials (i.e., email and password).

Authy offers multiple options for second-factor verification:

-SMS: One-time passcodes (OTPs) are delivered via text message.
-Voice: Similar to SMS, with the codes read aloud by an automated text-to-speech system.
-Mobile application: Users install an app (or Chrome extension), which generates an OTP based on a secret “seed” and current time according to the TOTP standard. TOTP is an open standard implemented by multiple apps including Google Authenticator and the Authy app.
-OneTouch: Pioneered by Duo Push, this model dispenses with codes altogether. Instead users confirm a login by responding to a simple yes/no prompt.

[jerry0]

Hi there thanks.  So in other words, just use any cell number to get the first verification code.  Then change it to google authy or authy and im good right?