Set Up Your iPhone's Built-In Two-Factor Authenticator to Better Protect Your Accounts
You don't need a third-party authentication app to better protect your precious accounts with 2FA. Andrew Hoyle/CNET Feb. 17, 2022 4:30 a.m. PT Protect all of your accounts with a second layer of security on your iPhone and iPad. One of the best ways to protect your accounts from hackers -- aside from a complicated and lengthy password -- is to enable two-factor authentication. 2FA, as the extra protection is commonly known, adds another layer of security to your account by requiring you to verify your identity -- via text, email or otherwise -- in addition to your password. Although text message is by far the most popular method for verifying your identity, authentication apps such as Google Authenticator are preferred because they're more secure (it's easier for attackers to spoof your text messages remotely). However, if you're an iPhone user, you don't have to download any third-party apps to get better 2FA protection for your accounts. Thanks to iOS 15, Apple now has a built-in authenticator to help secure any websites and apps that support the feature. And if you're interested in better protecting your accounts, check out the best password managers to use for 2022 and how to transfer your Google Authenticator accounts if you've bought a new phone. How to set up iOS 15's built-in two-factor authentication feature To start, launch the Settings application on your iPhone and go into Passwords. Use Face or Touch ID to access your passwords and then tap on whatever account it is you want to set up 2FA for. Note: This method of two-factor authentication does not work with every website or app. Next, tap Set Up Verification Code and a menu will appear with two options: . Enter Setup Key . Scan QR Code These are your two options to set up 2FA, which you can find on the website of whichever account you're attempting to secure. To continue, go to the website, use your credentials to log in and then go into the website's account settings. There is no single place where you'll find the setup key or QR code for 2FA, but generally you should find them in "passwords" or "two-factor authentication." For this example, we'll be using the setup key found in the account settings on Mega's website. If you see a setup key, simply copy it to your clipboard, and then go back to the Settings app on your iPhone and choose the Enter Setup Key option. Next, paste in the setup key and then hit OK. Once you do, a verification code will appear. Go back to the website you grabbed the setup key from and enter the verification code to enable 2FA. You don't have to manually enter the setup key, as it should appear at the top of your keyboard, so you can just tap there to enter it. However, you must be quick to enter the setup key because it'll change every 30 seconds. If you use the Scan QR Code option, the process will pretty much be the same, but instead of entering the setup key manually, you'll simply scan the QR code with your smartphone's camera. However, this option may not be ideal if you're doing everything on your smartphone, so really only use this if you're accessing the website on another device. Once you're finished, two-factor authentication should be enabled for that website. Anytime you log in to that website in the future, you'll be asked to enter a verification code as well, which will be generated by the built-in feature. Original Article at: https://www.cnet.com/news/another-small-iphone-update-is-rushed-out-to-fix-a -security-flaw/ -- The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at: mk...@ucla.edu and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com The archives for this list can be searched at: http://www.mail-archive.com/macvisionaries@googlegroups.com/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/macvisionaries/007601d8252d%24268cfe40%2473a6fac0%24%40ucla.edu.
