One of the most important aspects of today for most users is to be able to keep each of their accounts and devices safe, thus preventing them from becoming within reach of third parties.
To do this, the Apple company , like most large technology companies, has also decided to implement in its system what is the double-factor or two-step authentication , this in order to increase the security of its users . Given that today information theft and account hacking has taken more strength.
In this way, this new security system has become an additional layer for your Apple ID , which will guarantee that you are the only person that can access your account , regardless of whether or not third parties know your password .
Index:
Why should I protect my AppleID with two-factor verification?
Starting to use this protection tool will help you to keep each of your data in your different Apple accounts . This is because this system uses a verification method through a trust device that you have previously selected.
That is, to enter your Mac you will need a code that will be provided in your iPhone device if this is the case, keep in mind that this is how you know your Mac password you will not be able to enter them, until said code is added for entry .
Usually, this code is usually 6 digits and has a duration of a few seconds, when expired automatically it will be updated by a new one. Therefore, with this new system, a password alone will not be enough to be able to access your devices, which significantly improves the security of the Apple ID.
Keep in mind that this code will not only ask you to enter the account , but also at those times where you want to close the account completely, delete some information, change the password, among others. This is done by security measures, preventing third parties from changing data for you.
Steps to activate two-step validation in your Apple account
Being able to activate this in your Apple account is a very simple and quick process to do. It is important to clarify that two-step authentication is available for users of iTunes and iCloud, and with at least one device that is making use of what is the latest version of iOS or macOS .
The steps that we are going to explain below are for iPad, iPod touch and iPhone devices:
Activate authentication from Settings
This method is available for devices that use iOS 10.3 or later versions . If you have a device that meets this requirement then follow these instructions:
- Enter the “Settings” of your device.
- There, select the “Password and security” section.
- Now press on the option of “Enable double factor authentication”.
- Finally click on “Continue” for the process to run.
Now if your device has the version of iOS 10.2 or an earlier version of this you can do all this through these steps:
- Go to the “Settings” of your device.
- There go to consequeiCloud†.
- Now select the Apple ID option.
- Then select the “Password and security” section.
- Here you have to select the option of “Activate double factor authentication”.
- Finally click on “Continue” to activate this function. You may be asked here to answer some of your security questions from your Apple ID to verify your identity as a preventive measure.
Enter a trusted phone number
Once the previous processes have been done according to the version of your device , the following will be enter a phone number where you want the codes to be sent to you verification for logins . In this case, it is best to choose your own telephone number or in that case that of a device you always have on hand.
You can also select if you want to receive these digits through a phone call or a text message. Therefore, enter the trust number on your device screen and select the “Next” button.
You will then be sent a text message or phone call with a verification code to the number you entered.
Finally enter the verification code that you received so that the double factor authentication is activated completely .
Activate double factor authentication on your Mac
If you have a Mac and want to protect it with all this two-step security system, then you need to follow these instructions:
- Enter the your Mac menu.
- There, select the “System Preference” section.
- Now click on the subsidiCloud†.
- option. Here select “Account details”.
- Within this section, select the “Security” tab.
- And finally, click on “Enable double factor authentication.”
What happens if I lose my smartphone? Can’t I access my Apple account?
Surely you have wondered what would happen if your smartphone associated with this security system was lost and you cannot receive the access code to enter your Apple account. When this happens and it is impossible to login we must take into account several aspects that we can carry out.
As a first solution to this type of inconvenience, what we can do is request the recovery of the account so that we can access it again. This process has been designed for these types of occasions, where users lose their data or forget it and cannot enter again .
You should keep in mind that when requesting this process all your open sections in different devices will be closed . It can take a few hours, days or weeks depending on how much information you can provide from your account to the system.
Another way that can be executed to try to solve this problem is by deactivating two-factor authentication with a backup code. Note that when you activate this tool you create ten backup codes that you can store wherever you want. These can be used only once to access your account if you do not have your device.
By logging into your account you can deactivate this two-step verification and thus avoid these inconveniences for the next logins .
Finally, you can use your configured backup number when activating this feature . This will allow you to log back into your account where you can deactivate this feature for your next logins.