iOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura 13.2 Betas Add Support for Physical Apple ID Security Keys

The iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, and macOS Ventura 13.2 betas that were provided to developers today introduce support for physical security keys that can be used as extra protection for an Apple ID.

ios 16 3 security keys info
Apple announced the new feature last week, and said that it would be introduced in 2023, which lines up with when we are expecting the launch of iOS 16.3 and its sister updates. Security Keys for ‌Apple ID‌ will provide users with the option to add a third-party security key to their account, which will be needed for authentication when logging into a new device or otherwise accessing an ‌Apple ID‌.

The Security Key is designed to replace the verification codes that are sent to Apple devices when logging into another device, which is the standard method of authentication that Apple uses. Apple says that physical security keys provide strong protection against phishing and unauthorized account access.

ios 16 3 security keys
Security Keys can be set up on devices running the beta by going to ‌Apple ID‌ > Security Keys and following the instructions. The iPhone, iPad, and Mac support FIDO Certified security keys.

Related Forum: iOS 16

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Top Rated Comments

now i see it Avatar
31 months ago
Since 2FA is an absolute nightmare when the trusted iPhone is lost, bricked or stolen- having a physical key instead is a very welcome change
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mapsdotapp Avatar
31 months ago
does enabling Security Keys disable the horribly insecure SMS fallback option for two factor authentication?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaPizzaMan Avatar
31 months ago

Can't come soon enough. Does anyone actually enjoy getting 6 digit SMS messages?
For logging into your Apple account? I can't remember the last time I had to do that. It's always a pop-up notification on my Apple devices.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
31 months ago

I welcome this but at the same time feel like its worth waiting on buying a couple yubi keys until the iPhone migrates to USB C. No need to deal with special iPhone specific keys with a connector that's being phased out when you could just buy some that work on all your devices.
That's what I'm waiting on - hoping iPhone 15 has USB C.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RamGuy Avatar
31 months ago
It was a breeze adding my two Yubikey 5 NFC security keys. I have one model with USB-A and one with USB-C. Enjoy the added security this adds. My Apple ID is protecting so many critical things in my life at this point, so this added barrier of having to authenticate with a physical security key when logging in on unrecognised devices is a great addition.

I still can't enable Enhanced Data Protection for whatever reason. It doesn't seem like this feature is available in Norway yet.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
31 months ago
Can't come soon enough. Does anyone actually enjoy getting 6 digit SMS messages?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)