How To Setup Two Factor Authentication On Iphone

Apple offers both two-step and two-factor authentication for the iPhone, though two-step authentication is older and being replaced with the two-factor alternative.
Two-factor authentication displays an interactive notification on your iPhone before revealing a requested verification code.
You can turn off two-step authentication from your Apple ID web page, but once turned two-factor authentication is turned on permanently (outside of a two-week window), it cannot be turned off.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

When discussing digital security, the terms "two-step" and "two-factor" are often used interchangeably. But confusingly, Apple offers two slightly different forms of enhanced security, called two-step authentication and two-factor authentication.

Two-factor authentication is a newer and more secure system that includes interactive push notifications on your iOS devices, like the iPhone. Two-factor authentication has become an essential way to keep your data safe. By requiring two ways to prove that your identity — typically, a password and a verification code sent to your phone — it makes it dramatically harder for a hacker to gain access to your personal or financial data.

If you are still using two-step authentication and want to switch to the two-factor alternative, you need to turn off two-step authentication first.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone XS (From $999 at Apple)

How to turn off two-step authentication on the iPhone

1. In a web browser, sign into your Apple ID page.

2. In the Security section, make sure it says that "Two-Step Verification" is on.

Your Apple ID page shows if you have two-step or two-factor authentication enabled.

3. Click "Edit."

4. Click "Turn Off Two-Step Verification." Click again to confirm this is what you want to do.

You can turn off two-step authentication from your Apple ID web page.

5. You might need to create a security question and verify your date of birth.

Two-step verification is now turned off. If you want to, you can now turn on two-factor authentication in the Settings app of your iPhone (you can find it by tapping your name at the top of Settings, then Password & Security).

But be aware, once two-factor authetication becomes permanent on your iPhone, you can't turn it off.

How to turn off two-factor authentication on an iPhone (within an available two-week window)

As we've indicated, once you turn on two-factor authentication on an iPhone — unlike two-step authentication — it cannot be turned off. Apple has implemented this to enforce enhanced security for the iPhone and iPad.

There's one exception: You have a two-week window, starting from when you initially activate two-factor authentication, in which to turn it back off. After that, it's permanent.

If you are within that two-week window, you can turn it off from your Apple ID page:

1. In a web browser, sign into your Apple ID page.

2. In the Security section, make sure it says that "Two-Factor Verification" is on.

3. Click "Edit."

4. Click "Turn Off Two-Factor Verification." Click "Continue" to confirm this is what you want to do.

Related coverage fromHow To Do Everything: Tech:

How to change your Apple ID on an iPhone
How to restore your iPhone from a backup after taking the 'nuclear option' of a factory reset
How to turn off iCloud storage on an iPhone in 2 ways, either altogether or for specific apps
How to backup your iPhone to iCloud, your computer, or an external hard drive

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.