Two factor authentication is necessary for the security of your apple account. The 2014 Heart bleed bug exposed millions of internet logins to scammers thanks to one itty-bitty piece of code, and our security nightmares have only gotten progressively worse in the years since.
What’s the average internet user to do? Well, you should have strong passwords. They’re a pretty laughable method of authentication and can be scooped up pretty easily by a variety of methods. (But you can stop changing your passwords constantly unless they’re in a breach.
What you really need is a second way to verify yourself. That’s why many internet services, a number of which have felt the pinch of being hacked or breached, offer multi-factor authentication (or MFA). Up until very recently, we’ve usually called it two-factor authentication (2FA), but more factors are better. You’ll find all the terms used interchangeably with “multi-step,” “two-step,” and “verification” depending on the marketing.
Your Apple ID is a big part of your life if you’re an iOS or Mac user. It’s important for not just access, but also storage via iCloud; purchases like movies, books, and apps; and subscriptions to services like Apple Music and Apple TV+.
To activate two-factor authentication, go to the Manage Your Apple ID page and sign in. Look for Account Security > Two-Factor Authentication and click “Get Started…”
You are then furnished with steps on how to set up 2FA for Apple using either iOS or macOS. On iOS you go to Settings > [your name at the top] > Password & Security > Turn on Two-Factor Authentication. On macOS go to > System Preferences > iCloud, sign in, click Account Details > Security > Turn on Two-Factor Authentication. (Here are specifics on setting it up in iOS 15 so you can literally use your iOS device as an authenticator app.)
Hope this tutorial was helpful in helping you secure your account with two factor authentication.
