After Twitter finally offered its users a more secure way to log into their accounts on the web, the social network has updated its iOS and Android apps today to make using two-step verification easier. The security mechanism requires two different passwords for a user to log in: both a traditional password as well as a temporary code sent to your verified mobile phone number. When Twitter first introduced the feature to its website this May, users were sent an SMS message for verification. With today's update, however, you'll be able to use the iOS and Android mobile app (once it's set up) to get the verification code to log in. Since SMS messages are no longer necessary, two-step verification is now available across the world with the update, and the app will provide details like the location and browser details of any request that's made to sign into your account.

It's worth noting that today's update does not change how users with two-step authentication enabled sign in to the iOS or Android app the very first time. You'll still need to grab a temporary password from Twitter's website to log in to the mobile app; once you do so, the app will keep you logged in without the need to verify.

As reputable institutions have embraced Twitter, they've become attractive targets for hackers hoping to deceive the public with malicious or erroneous tweets. High-profile hacks of accounts like The Guardian, AFP, and the Associated Press have occurred in the past after successful phishing attacks that grabbed security credentials from unsuspecting staffers. With two-step verification properly set up, such attacks would be more difficult to carry out, as hackers would need not only the original password, but also access to a staffer's phone. Twitter's addition of the feature earlier this year came after companies like Google, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Microsoft, and Apple made similar moves. Beyond the much-welcome addition of two-step verification, the update also includes a new gallery view for looking at users' uploaded photos.