Apple introduced two-factor authentication (2FA) in 2015 to provide an enhanced level of security when accessing Apple ID accounts. With 2FA enabled, you'll be the only person who can access your account, regardless of whether someone learns your password – as the result of a hack or a phishing scam, for example – so it's well worth taking the time to enable the feature. In this article, we'll show you how.

How Two-Factor Authentication Works

2FA offers hardened security during login attempts by requesting that the user provides an extra piece of information only they would know.

2fa verification on ios
With 2FA enabled on your Apple ID account, the next time you try to log in you will be automatically sent a six-digit verification code to all the Apple devices you have registered to that Apple ID. If you try to access the account from an unknown device or on the web, 2FA also displays a map on all registered devices with an approximate location of where the Apple ID login attempt occurred.

In basic terms, this is an improved version of Apple's older two-step verification method, which prompted users to send a four-digit code to a registered SMS-capable device. Apple automatically upgraded most two-step verification users to 2FA as of iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, but if you're still on two-step verification for some reason, follow the steps below to manually upgrade to 2FA.

How to Turn Off Two-Step Verification

  1. Open a browser and go to appleid.apple.com
  2. Enter your Apple ID and password in the login fields.
  3. In the Security section of your account page, click the Edit button on the right.
  4. Check to make sure two-step verification is enabled rather than two-factor authentication, and click Turn off two-step verification.

How to Turn On Two-Factor Authentication in iOS

To turn on 2FA using an iPhone or iPad, it needs to be running iOS 9 or later. Note that if you're running iOS 10 or later and you have any other, older devices tied to your Apple ID that aren't compatible with 2FA, you'll receive a compatibility warning during the setup process.

On top of that, you'll also be asked to append a six-digit code to the end of your password whenever you authenticate a login on your older devices in future. You can potentially avoid this hassle by updating those devices to the latest version of iOS or macOS where possible.

With that in mind, perform the following steps on your iOS device:

  1. Open the Settings app and tap your Apple ID banner at the top of screen.
  2. Tap Password & Security.
  3. Tap Turn On Two-Factor Authentication, and then tap Continue on the next screen.
  4. Tap Turn On Anyway if you see a compatibility warning about older devices.
  5. Check your phone number is correct. (If it isn't, tap Use a Different Number at the bottom of the screen and input a new number.)
  6. Select Text message or Phone call for verification, and then tap Next.
  7. Enter your Passcode.

2fa ios e1517490695102

How to Turn On Two-Factor Authentication on a Mac

If it's a Mac you're using to enable two-factor authentication then make sure it's running OS X El Capitan or later. To turn on 2FA on Mac, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Apple () symbol in the menu bar at the top left of the desktop, and select System Preferences.
  2. Click the iCloud preferences pane.
  3. Click the Account Details button and select the Security tab.
  4. Click Turn on Two-Factor Authentication, and then click Continue in the drop-down pane.
  5. Check your phone number is correct and click Continue.

2fa mac 2

Verification Codes

With 2FA enabled, you'll be prompted to enter a new verification code every time you log in to your Apple ID account using iCloud.com or another Mac or iOS device. These codes will automatically appear on devices that are already logged into your Apple ID, but you can also request them manually using an iPhone or iPad, like so:

  1. Open the Settings app and tap on your Apple ID banner at the top of the screen.
  2. Tap Password & Security.
  3. Tap Get Verification Code.

2fa codes

Top Rated Comments

Primejimbo Avatar
96 months ago
User BEWARE!!
There's currently no way to recover your account using two factor authentication if you lose or forget your password and or the recovery key.
Without the recovery key the account and all its contents will be lost completely (all purchases)
The recovery key must be store in a "safe deposit box" outside the residence in case your house burns down i.e. Cal Wild Fires, floods, etc. and your recovery key was stored at home in a "safe" place.
DO NOT USE TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION if you do not store your password and recovery key outside the residence or in another cloud account where it can be readily accessed.
Yes there is. With the old way (2 step verification) you needed a recovery key. This way they are doing now, you don’t. I’m actually helped a person recover their data and they got a phone call in 12 days and got their account unlocked.

Personally, I rather have it so I need a recovery key.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
96 months ago
No way to recover if you lose your phone while travelling. Apple should allow two factor with a secondary email rather than phone number.
You can set up more than 1 trusted phone number.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Weaselboy Avatar
96 months ago
You can set up more than 1 trusted phone number.
Yep... you can even add your home phone and Apple will robo call you with the six digit code.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
twennywonn Avatar
96 months ago
User BEWARE!!
There's currently no way to recover your account using two factor authentication if you lose or forget your password and or the recovery key.
Without the recovery key the account and all its contents will be lost completely (all purchases)
The recovery key must be store in a "safe deposit box" outside the residence in case your house burns down i.e. Cal Wild Fires, floods, etc. and your recovery key was stored at home in a "safe" place.
DO NOT USE TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION if you do not store your password and recovery key outside the residence or in another cloud account where it can be readily accessed.
This is obviously by design for security reasons.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
96 months ago
Glad to see MR posting a much needed tutorial for those who may not know all that is involved.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Weaselboy Avatar
96 months ago
If you set someone up as a "trusted" number, do they get notified every single time you get an access code to get into an iCloud setting or whatever?

For whatever reason, every single time -- for example -- that I open iCloud.com in a browser I'm prompted for a code from a trusted device... even though I've checked "remember me" over and over.
No it defaults to the main iCloud account. You would need to manually tell it to use one of the other numbers for the other person to get the code.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
terminal macos tahoe

Apple's Terminal App Gets Colorful Redesign in macOS Tahoe

Monday June 16, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's Terminal app is getting a visual refresh in macOS Tahoe, and it's the first notable design update since the command-line tool debuted. The updated Terminal will support 24-bit color and Powerline fonts, according to Apple's State of the Platforms presentation at WWDC25. The app will also adopt the new Liquid Glass aesthetic with redesigned themes that align with macOS 26's broader...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Apple Says iOS 26 Won't Be Available on These iPhone Models

Tuesday June 10, 2025 6:58 am PDT by
Apple this week revealed that iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer. That means that iOS 18 is the end of the road for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, which were all released in 2018. However, those devices will continue to receive security updates for at least a few more years. iOS 26 is compatible with the following iPhone models: iPhone 16e iPhone...
new iphone lockscreen ios 26

iOS 26: Five Changes Coming to Your iPhone Lock Screen

Tuesday June 17, 2025 8:46 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has made some additions to the iPhone Lock Screen that aim to make it more customizable than ever. Of course, things can always change before the software makes its way to the general iPhone-owning public, but here are five new things iOS 26 can do on the Lock Screen as of the current developer beta. Widgets Top or Bottom In iOS 18, the row of widgets on your Lock...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Wednesday June 18, 2025 10:24 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a few days after Apple provided the betas to developers. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. When the...