When Google launched its Advanced Protection Program in October, it came with a big caveat. The system was designed to prevent targeted account hacks — basically, any way a sophisticated hacker might try to steal the data in your Google Account — but locking down the account meant cutting off all third-party apps, including native iOS apps like Apple Mail, Contacts, and Calendar.
Six months later, Google has figured out a way to make it work. In a post today, Google’s Dario Salice announced that Advanced Protection will now support native iOS apps as part of a broader effort to bring more non-Google applications into the system. Advanced Protection users connecting to Apple Mail, Contacts, or Calendar will still have to navigate a more complex login process, but once linked, the apps should work as normal. Salice says Google will continue to expand the list of trusted applications that work with Advanced Protection.
Much of the security benefit of Advanced Protection comes from forcing users onto the most secure login methods, typically a two-factor login using a hardware Security Key. But the system also severely limits how third parties can connect to a user’s account, since those authorized apps can often lead to account takeovers. Google users can sign up for Advanced Protection here.