Gmail Adds A Copy Code Button To Two-Factor Emails On Android And iOS
Gmail on Android and iOS has started showing a Copy code button on emails that carry a one-time passcode, letting users copy a login code straight from the inbox. The feature was first reported by 9to5Google on 19 September 2026; Google has not announced it.
- Where: Gmail apps for Android and iOS; not on the web
- Seen in: Android version 2026.09.07 and iOS version 6.0.260907
- What it does: a pill-shaped button under the subject line reads Copy code and copies the passcode to the clipboard
- Also shown: at the top of the opened email
- Not shown: in notifications
- Rollout: gradual; eligibility by account type not stated
How The Gmail Copy Code Button Works
When an email containing a verification code arrives, Gmail picks out the code and places a button with it under the subject line in the inbox list. One tap copies it, so a user signing in to a shop or a bank does not have to open the email, find the number and select it by hand. Reports so far describe it on store and banking emails, and note that codes in unusual formats may not be detected.
Why A Small Button Matters
Passcodes by email are still how a huge number of services confirm a login, especially smaller ones that have not moved to passkeys or authenticator apps. Every second in that flow is a place where a user abandons a checkout or a sign-up. Taking a step out of it, on one of the most widely used email apps, is a meaningful improvement for the brands that depend on it.
It also tells marketers something about how Gmail now reads transactional email. The inbox is parsing messages for structured information and acting on it before they are opened. Brands that send codes, receipts and delivery updates should expect more of that, and should keep those emails clean and consistently formatted so the machine reading them gets it right.
The feature was first spotted by 9to5Google. More ad tech.