So it seems my complains about 2 factor auth are quite valid. It’s a trade off I guess.. another feature is that sometimes passwords stored in icloud are sometimes locked by an older passcode. If one forgets this passcode it’s a technical disaster
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You can't remove 2 factor authentication after setting it now?!
- Thread starter shankar2
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That's a bad way to look at it. They're making it harder for old people to fall victim to hacking is a more accurate outlook. Two factor authentication is very important which is why the entire industry moved that way.
This is why you should store everything important behind a reliable password manager that you know the master password to. Two factor auth can be set up for every service you use daily assuming they support it. For example, 1Password can manage that for you.
In my case, verification codes were suddenly sent to the wrong phone number. Obviously, from that moment on my Apple ID was dead.I couldn't sign in anywhere, no updates for almost 4 months and constant pop ups asking me to sign in. A real nightmare
Yeah, don't use SMS for 2FA if at all possible. It's better than not having it, but it's not like having a Yubikey or authentication app.
1Password used to be a single purchase. Now the latest version requires you to sign up for an expensive yearly subscription.. not good imho
A single purchase is still an option available with 1Password. When you launch 1Password 7 you are given that option. That's what I did.
"While 1Password membership is going to offer the best value if you decide you’d like to license 1Password 7 for Mac that is an option as well. I hope that helps!"
My nephew has just and iPhone and 2 factor turned on, no issues. The 6 digit code goes to the cell phone and the set up is pretty easy.
I have it on everything that offers it. I don’t understand why people cry about. You only need it when signing into a new account for the 1st time. I just think these people want to complain for the sake of complaining.
In my case, verification codes were suddenly sent to the wrong phone number. Obviously, from that moment on my Apple ID was dead.I couldn't sign in anywhere, no updates for almost 4 months and constant pop ups asking me to sign in. A real nightmare
This is why you need to keep you number updated. Do people change their number that often? I’ve had the same for 15-20 years.
exactly! My almost 80 year old mom doesn’t have an issue with it. Again you just need it when signing into the account on a new device for the 1st time. Are people constantly signing into their Apple ID on new devices all the time?
yup! I use 1Password for years, and I use it daily. Well worth the price.
really? So it’s better not to have sms for 2FA at all? I highly disagree with you. SMS 2FA is garbage, but it’s better than nothing at all. This is why it’s a good idea to have a PIN on your cell phone account.
No, we are in agreement. Better than nothing, but having an authentication app is even better.
I was a very satisfied user of two-factor authentication.
Whenever I bought a new device, it would decide that the best device to ping for authorization was my 80+ year old grandma's iPhone 6 Plus who lives 500+ miles away, whose phone I configured using my ID because well she's 80.
So I'd be locked out of my account with no way to activate my new devices.
This happened over 3 times and I never figured out why, so I turned it off. Good riddance. Won't activate this ****** **********ing ********ing ****ing crap ever again.
Whenever I bought a new device, it would decide that the best device to ping for authorization was my 80+ year old grandma's iPhone 6 Plus who lives 500+ miles away, whose phone I configured using my ID because well she's 80.
So I'd be locked out of my account with no way to activate my new devices.
This happened over 3 times and I never figured out why, so I turned it off. Good riddance. Won't activate this ****** **********ing ********ing ****ing crap ever again.
If you bother to read their knowledge base article, you will note that they already have an offline code process.
That's why it's important to add other trusted phone numbers to your two factor settings so they can be used as an alternative to proving your identity.
There is no "best" device. It will send the code request to all trusted devices. Why is that device a trusted device, then, vs one closer to you?
Only in my case it didn't. I had a MBA and an iPhone 6 right in front of me, and when I bought my 7+ in 2016 I couldn't activate it with my Apple ID because it kept pinging my grandma. I had to call her and explain what to do and why that happened and what she had to do.
Maybe I'm just dumb, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out why that kept happening. But Apple stuff should be idiotproof.
You change numbers because a secondary cell phone provider won’t release your number to another provider.
When has this happened? I’ve had the same number for 15-20 years and been on 4 difference cell phone carriers.
I totally understand how something like 2FA would be deemed "complicated" to older people. My parents are retired, so I know this very well. Sure it adds an extra layer of "security", but it also adds a thick layer of complexity for people who just want "easy to use" Apple products.
For this reason, I yelled at my Dad when he was attempting to enable 2FA. He didn't quite do all the steps required to enable it, and I periodically check his emails from Apple (or Apple imposters) to make sure his account is secure, and I found that he made 2 attempts to enable 2FA. I asked him if he really knew what it was, he had NO idea, he only said he tried to do it because Apple kept nagging him to enable it.
I told him that if he enabled it, and he is already FORGETFUL AND ABSENT-MINDED, and if he ever forgot his password or verification questions, he may brick his iPhone and all his data FOREVER. I also told him that Apple will NOT help him recover his data or phone. They won't even help the FBI or the Government or the Police Departments recover locked data or bricked iPhones. So Apple sure as hell will never help him access his iPhone or data ever again. He is too old and too old-school that he never backs up, he doesn't believe in iCloud backups. So I made it clear that if 2FA ever locked him out of his iPhone, it is bricked forever, along with years of data (on his 6S).
For this reason, I yelled at my Dad when he was attempting to enable 2FA. He didn't quite do all the steps required to enable it, and I periodically check his emails from Apple (or Apple imposters) to make sure his account is secure, and I found that he made 2 attempts to enable 2FA. I asked him if he really knew what it was, he had NO idea, he only said he tried to do it because Apple kept nagging him to enable it.
I told him that if he enabled it, and he is already FORGETFUL AND ABSENT-MINDED, and if he ever forgot his password or verification questions, he may brick his iPhone and all his data FOREVER. I also told him that Apple will NOT help him recover his data or phone. They won't even help the FBI or the Government or the Police Departments recover locked data or bricked iPhones. So Apple sure as hell will never help him access his iPhone or data ever again. He is too old and too old-school that he never backs up, he doesn't believe in iCloud backups. So I made it clear that if 2FA ever locked him out of his iPhone, it is bricked forever, along with years of data (on his 6S).
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My parents and in laws are all retired and have 2 factor on. My cell number is also a back up number on my parents and my wife’s on hers, and never had issues.
Also, Apple WILL recover your data, it takes a long time though. A friend of mine went though this and it was about a 6 weeks.
I feel like people make this harder then it’s actually is.
I can sympathize because my parents still have trouble understanding what two factor is. They just could not grasp using Google Authenticator to enter a six digit code. It's much better now that Google just lets you answer "yes" or "no" for two factor requests via their search app.
If you set up two factor you should always have backup methods whether that be backup codes or alternate phone numbers.
