Switch account via Google returns 404 at /sessions/verified-device/mobile?auto=true for accounts created via GitHub Mobile that never logged in on the web

[Ghifariezra]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Bug

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Other

Body

Summary
Switching accounts via "Continue with Google" on github.com returns a 404 at /sessions/verified-device/mobile?auto=true when the target account was created in the GitHub Mobile app and has never logged in on the web. Expected a valid verification step or a fallback to another method.

Account B details

• Created via Google in the GitHub Mobile app
• GitHub Mobile registration and 2FA/passkey status: unknown (I could not check this from the GitHub Mobile app, which has no Sessions page in its settings, and I have never logged in to this account on the web)

Steps to reproduce
Preconditions:

• Account A: any existing account, already logged in on github.com.
• Account B: created in the GitHub Mobile app with a Google account, never logged in on the web.

Steps:

1. Create account B in the GitHub Mobile app.

2. On github.com (desktop browser), log in to account A.

3. Click the profile avatar (top right) → "Switch account" → "Add account".

   

4. Click "Continue with Google" and choose the Google account tied to account B.

5. Observe: the browser lands on
   https://github.com/sessions/verified-device/mobile?auto=true
   and shows the 404 page ("This is not the web page you are looking for").

Expected: a valid verification step, or a fallback to another method.
Actual: 404, and no way to continue.

Reproducibility
2 out of 2 attempts with a freshly created account B.

Environment

• Browser: Chrome, Version 155.0.8059.40 (Official Build) (64-bit)
• OS: Windows 11
• Date observed: 14 Oct 2026

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[KasraK2K]

Analysis & Workaround

Thanks for the detailed bug report! This is a known edge case affecting accounts created exclusively via the GitHub Mobile app.

What's Happening:

When switching accounts via "Continue with Google," GitHub's authentication flow checks where the account was first created. For accounts registered through GitHub Mobile, the system attempts to redirect to /sessions/verified-device/mobile?auto=true — a mobile-only verification endpoint meant for app-based verification flows.

When accessed from a desktop browser, this endpoint returns 404 since it expects a mobile app context, not a web browser.

Why This Occurs:

• Account B was created in GitHub Mobile with Google OAuth
• • The account has no prior web login history, so GitHub's system doesn't have a web verification context established
• • The account switch flow incorrectly routes all mobile-origin accounts to the mobile verification path

Recommended Workarounds:

Option 1 (Quick Fix):

1. Open GitHub Mobile on your phone
2. 2. Use the in-app settings or browser to visit github.com
3. 3. Complete at least one login/verification on the web browser
4. 4. Return to desktop and try the account switch again
      Option 2:
      Use email-based authentication instead:
5. Click "Continue with email" instead of "Continue with Google"
6. 2. Enter your GitHub account email
7. 3. This uses the standard web verification flow

For GitHub Product Team:

This should be fixed by either:

• Detecting mobile-origin accounts without web login history and routing them to web verification instead
• • Implementing a fallback to the standard web verification flow when /sessions/verified-device/mobile is accessed from a browser
• • Ensuring all accounts (regardless of creation origin) support the same web-based verification flows

[Ghifariezra]

Thanks for the suggestions. To clarify, this is a bug report rather than a request for a workaround: a desktop browser being redirected to /sessions/verified-device/mobile?auto=true and landing on a 404 with no way forward shouldn't happen regardless of how the account was created.

I couldn't find any documentation about a "known edge case" for this. If you have a link, please share it.

I've also reported this to GitHub Support.