How to Get an Email Sign-In Code Without Losing Your Place on an Android Phone

What you need: An Android phone that shows three buttons, a short line or nothing along the very bottom of the screen; a website on the phone that says it sent a code to your email; and the Gmail app, where you read the email for that address.

Before you begin: A website opened from a link in an email can show inside Gmail, and going back to your emails closes it. Steps 1 and 2 move it into your web browser first, where it stays open.

Steps

1. Look at the bar at the very top of the screen. If it has an X at its left and the website's name and address beside it, the page is open inside Gmail. Do not tap the X, because it closes the page. Tap the three dots at the right of that bar, then tap the choice that opens the page in your browser, such as Open in Chrome.
2. If you moved the page in step 1, wait for it to open in your browser. If it then shows an earlier page instead of the box for the code, follow the website's steps again until it says it sent a new code.
3. Look at the very bottom of the screen. If you see three buttons, you will tap buttons in these steps. If you see a short line or nothing, you will swipe instead.
4. Go to the Home screen. With buttons, tap the middle button, Home. With swipes, swipe up from the very bottom edge of the screen and let go. The website stays open in the browser, out of sight.
5. Tap the Gmail app (a letter M in red, blue, yellow and green). If you do not see it on the Home screen, put your finger in the middle of the Home screen and slide it up to see all your apps, then tap Gmail.
6. Look for the list of emails. If Gmail shows one email instead, tap the back arrow at the top left until the list shows.
7. Tap the newest email from the website, near the top of the list. If it is not there after a minute, tap Menu (three lines at the top left), then tap Updates if you see it, and look for the email there.
8. Read the code in the email, usually a short row of numbers or letters. Write it on paper or say it to yourself. Do not tap any link or button in the email.
9. Open the list of recent apps. With buttons, tap Overview: the button that is not Home and not the Back arrow, a square or three short lines. With swipes, swipe up from the very bottom edge, hold your finger still for a moment, then let go. Small pictures of your open apps appear.
10. Swipe sideways until you see the picture of your browser showing the website. It is usually beside Gmail. Tap it, and the website appears again.
11. Tap the box for the code, type the code, then tap the button under it, such as Verify, Continue or Submit. If the box for the code is gone, or the website says the code is wrong or has expired, tap the website's button to send a new code, such as Resend code, then repeat steps 4 to 11 with the newest email.

Expected result: The website accepts the code and shows its next page, such as your account or the next step of what you were doing.