This article explains how to secure your iPhone with two-factor authentication (2FA), making it harder for hackers to break into your iPhone and access your data. Instructions cover iOS 13 and later.

What to Know

  • Go to Settings > Password & Security and tap Turn on Two-Factor Authentication > Continue. Add a trusted device: Password & Security > Trusted Phone Numbers > Edit > Add a Trusted Phone Number.Remove a trusted device. Tap Trusted Phone Numbers > Edit and tap Delete next to the number to remove.

How to Set up Two-Factor Authentication on iPhone

Turning on two-factor authentication on the iPhone will secure both your Apple ID and the features of your iPhone that use your Apple ID. Here’s how to set it up:

  • Launch Settings and tap your name at the top of the screen.
  • Tap Password & Security.
  • Tap Turn on Two-Factor Authentication > Continue. You may be prompted to answer Apple ID security questions.
  • As part of the setup process, you’ll receive a verification code by text message or phone call. Enter a phone number to receive the code.
  • Choose to get the code by Text Message or Phone Call and tap Next.
  • Enter the code. Two-factor authentication is now turned on for your Apple ID and iPhone.

How to Add Trusted Devices on iPhone

As an additional security layer, you can opt to use two-factor authentication to sign into your Apple ID only on trusted devices. This means that even if a hacker gets your Apple ID username and password and the one-time-use code, they’d also need physical access to one of your devices to get into your account. Pretty secure!

Launch Settings and tap your name at the top of the screen.

Tap Password & Security.

Tap Turn on Two-Factor Authentication > Continue. You may be prompted to answer Apple ID security questions.

As part of the setup process, you’ll receive a verification code by text message or phone call. Enter a phone number to receive the code.

Choose to get the code by Text Message or Phone Call and tap Next.

Enter the code. Two-factor authentication is now turned on for your Apple ID and iPhone.

Your Apple ID isn’t the only account you can secure using two-factor authentication. Use the feature to enhance the security of many accounts, including Facebook, Gmail, Fortnite, and Yahoo Mail.

To add a trusted device to your account, follow these steps:

  • Go to your iPhone’s Settings app and tap your name > Password & Security.
  • Under Trusted Phone Numbers, tap Edit.
  • Tap Add a Trusted Phone Number.
  • Enter your iPhone passcode.
  • Enter the trusted device’s phone number and select whether you want to verify via text or phone call. Tap Send.
  • Enter the verification code sent to the trusted device. The device will be added to your Trusted Devices list.

How to Remove Trusted Devices on iPhone

If you’re getting rid of a device that you trusted in the past, you need to remove it from your list of trusted devices. If you don’t, the next owner of the device might be able to access your account. To remove a device from your Trusted Device list:

Go to your iPhone’s Settings app and tap your name > Password & Security.

Under Trusted Phone Numbers, tap Edit.

Tap Add a Trusted Phone Number.

Enter your iPhone passcode.

Enter the trusted device’s phone number and select whether you want to verify via text or phone call. Tap Send.

Enter the verification code sent to the trusted device. The device will be added to your Trusted Devices list.

  • Go to your iPhone’s Settings app and tap your name > Password & Security.
  • Under Trusted Phone Numbers, tap Edit.
  • Tap the red minus sign next to the device you want to remove.
  • Tap Delete to remove the device.
  • Tap Remove to confirm.

How to Turn off Two-Factor Authentication on iPhone

Interested in turning off 2FA? You can’t.

Tap the red minus sign next to the device you want to remove.

Tap Delete to remove the device.

Tap Remove to confirm.

Once you set up two-factor authentication on iPhone (or any other Apple device), you can’t turn it off. That may sound strange, but it’s actually another security measure. Turning off two-factor authentication would make your devices and your Apple ID less secure and Apple doesn’t want to allow that.

What Is Two-Factor Authentication, and Why Should You Use It?

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security system that requires that you have two pieces of information to access an account. The first piece of information, or factor, is a username and password combination. The second factor is usually a randomly generated numerical code.

If you have detailed questions about how 2FA works or what to do in certain complicated scenarios, you can learn more from Apple’s support page for two-factor authentication.

That’s how Apple’s 2FA system works. It uses your Apple ID username and password as the first factor and then randomly generates a code when you try to sign into your account. Because each code can only be used once, the system is harder to break. Two-factor authentication is built into the iOS, macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and Apple websites.

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