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

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
google pixel 10

Switching Between iPhone and Android Will Get Easier With New Apple and Google Collaboration

Monday December 8, 2025 11:10 am PST by
Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta. Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Apple Fitness Plus expansion hero

Apple Fitness+ Coming to 28 New Regions With Digital Voice Dubbing

Monday December 8, 2025 6:19 am PST by
Apple today announced that Fitness+ is expanding to 28 new markets on December 15 in the service's largest international rollout since launch, accompanied by new language dubbing and a K-Pop music genre. Apple Fitness+ will become available in Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and additional regions on December 15, with Japan scheduled to follow early next year....

Top Rated Comments

now i see it Avatar
39 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
39 months ago
does enabling Security Keys disable the horribly insecure SMS fallback option for two factor authentication?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaPizzaMan Avatar
39 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
39 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
39 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
39 months ago
Can't come soon enough. Does anyone actually enjoy getting 6 digit SMS messages?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)