Google Account Single Sign-On (SSO) Information

What's Changing?

The university is standardizing how all major online services are accessed. UAH Google accounts will be fully integrated with our central Single Sign-On (SSO) system by November 20, 2025.

When accessing a Google account from a website such as gmail.com, the UAH email address should be entered and the response will be the familiar UAH login page. For many of you who already use your university password for Google, your password will not change, but the process of signing in will.

This change makes Google 2-Step Verification and Google Account Recovery unnecessary.

When is it Changing?

This change schedule is based on account types:

  • Staff: Oct. 15, 2025
  • Faculty & Emeriti: Oct. 22, 2025
  • Students: Nov. 5, 2025
  • Other (entities, etc.): Nov. 19, 2025

What's the Impact of the Change?

The login screen will look different. You may need to re-add your account to desktop and mobile email applications. Anyone who had set a password directly in their Google account would need to reset their password to use their UAH password in order to access the Google account.

The New Login Process

  1. Navigate to a Google Service: Go to a Google page like gmail.com or drive.google.com.
  2. Enter Your Email: Type your full UAH email address (e.g., ChargerID@uah.edu) and click Next.
  3. Redirect to UAH Login: You will be automatically redirected to the UAH SSO login page.
  4. Authenticate: Enter your Charger ID and password. If/when prompted, approve the Duo prompt.
  5. One-Time Confirmation: The very first time you do this, Google will show a screen asking you to confirm your identity. Simply click Continue or Confirm to link your account.
  6. Success! You will be redirected back to the Google service you were trying to access.

Action Required for Some Users: Reconnecting Email and Calendar Apps

This is the most critical action you may need to take. Applications that store your credentials in the old way will stop syncing after the change. This includes:

  • Outlook Desktop Client (Windows/Mac)
  • Apple Mail (on Mac, iPhone, or iPad)
  • The default Mail app on Android phones
  • Other third-party email clients

Solution: For most applications, you must remove the account and add it again (one time only). When you re-add the account, it will correctly use the new SSO login method.
For detailed, step-by-step instructions with screenshots, please see our guide: Mail Clients: Remove/Add a Google Account

Why is it Changing?

This change standardizes security by protecting individual Google accounts with Duo, the university's official Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) tool, creating a more consistent experience.

I have a question!

Our Frequently Asked Questions (and their answers) related to this change can be seen in this article. Additional information - that's specific to entity/department accounts - can be found in this other article.

Still Need Help?

If you have additional questions about this topic, please contact the OIT Help Desk.

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Related Articles (8)

Answers to some commonly asked questions about Duo and Multi-Factor Authentication.
The FAQ information here is intended to provide additional information regarding the change.
Get started using Duo for multi-factor authentication.
Instructions on how to add, remove, or modify devices for Duo MFA
Adding UAH email to email clients such as Outlook, MacOS Mail, and iOS Mail.
Entity accounts are different and don't currently require MFA as student, faculty, and staff accounts do. With Google behind SSO, users who manage multiple email accounts (such as their own UAH account plus an entity account) may need to change how they access the secondary account.
How to create a profile for accessing a UAH Gmail account using Google Workspace Sync for Microsoft Outlook.
Information for users who choose to use profiles in their web browser to access multiple accounts.