Cannot...Finish setting up two-factor authentication on this Mac

I continue to get notifications of the need to finish this set up. Clicking on the notification brings me to iCloud in System Preferences, with a yellow triangle with an exclamation point telling me to finish setting up 2FA on this Mac.


Clicking the Continue button leads me to directions that I will need to enter my password and a verification code, clicking ok on that leads to a window asking me to enter my Apple ID password to set up iCloud. After entering my password and clicking "Continue", a brief, white swirl is present while the machine accepts my password and the window disappears. We are back to the window we started with the yellow triangle: "Finish setting up two-factor authentification on this Mac".


I could re-enter my password at this point, and the loop just repeats. I've looked through a lot of forums, and not found this specific version of this common problem. Help!

Posted on Feb 9, 2019 8:04 PM

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Feb 9, 2019 9:15 PM in response to madmam

You could try a number of things to try and fix the problem.


A Troubleshooting Procedure that may Fix Problems with macOS El Capitan or Later


You should try each, one at a time, then test to see if the problem is fixed before going on to the next.


    Be sure to backup your files before proceeding if possible.


  1. Shutdown the computer, wait 30 seconds, restart the computer.
  2. Disconnect all third-party peripherals.
  3. Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM
  4. Reset the System Management Controller (SMC)
  5. Reset your Startup Disk and Sound preferences.
  6. Start the computer in Safe Mode. Test in safe mode to see if the problem persists, then restart normally.
  7. Use Apple Hardware Test to see if there is any hardware malfunction.
  8. Repair the disk by booting from the Recovery HD. Immediately after the chime hold down the Command and R keys until the Utility Menu appears. Choose Disk Utility and click on the Continue button. Select the indented (usually, Macintosh HD) volume entry from the side list.  Click on the First Aid button in the toolbar. Wait for the Done button to appear. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu. Restart the computer from the Apple Menu.
  9. Repair permissions on the Home folderResolve issues caused by changing the permissions of items in your home folder.
  10. Create a New User Account Open Users & Groups preferences. Click on the lock icon and enter your Admin password when prompted. On the left under Current User click on the Add [+] button under Login Options. Setup a new Admin user account. Upon completion log out of your current account then log into the new account. If your problems cease, then consider switching to the new account and transferring your files to it - Transferring files from one User Account to another.
  11. Download and install the OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 Combo Update or 10.12.6 Combo Update or Download macOS High Sierra 10.13.5 Combo Update or Get MacOS Mojave now from the Mac App Store as needed.
  12. Reinstall OS X by booting from the Recovery HD using the Command and R keys. When the Utility Menu appears select Reinstall OS X then click on the Continue button.
  13. Erase and Install OS X Restart the computer. Immediately after the chime hold down the Command and R keys until the Apple logo appears. When the Utility Menu appears:


     1. Select Disk Utility from the Utility Menu and click on the Continue button.

     2. When Disk Utility loads select the drive (out-dented entry) from the Device list.

     3. Click on the Erase icon in Disk Utility's toolbar. A panel will drop down.

     4. Set the Format type to APFS (for SSDs only) or Mac OS Extended (Journaled.)

     5. Click on the Apply button, then wait for the Done button to activate and click on it.

     6. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.

     7. Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Continue button.


Feb 9, 2019 11:33 PM in response to madmam

In the system preferences > iCloud if a notification comes to set up 2FA with a yellow exclamation mark .Click on continue .


It's your choice to set up 2FA by clicking on turn on and click on continue , the 2FA will set up but that can be converted once again into secondary authentication before fourteen days a method is there ( using an iOS device and a Mac simultaneously ) , and if you click on not now the 2FA will not be set up .

Feb 9, 2019 8:59 PM in response to Kappy

I've gone to those links, but unfortunately can't find a solution. After multiple notifications I had given way to the idea of going ahead with the 2FA. On my iPhone, and my Mac, each say 2FA is turned on. Also on the AppleID site it says my 2FA is turned on as well, and there is no way to turn it off. I figure there's got to be some small step in between turning on the 2FA and how iCloud interacts with this, that is the problem?


As an aside, my iPhone photos aren't synching with iCloud; I figured this is because the iCloud is hung up on this "unfinished 2FA set-up". :(

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Cannot...Finish setting up two-factor authentication on this Mac

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