TFA Two Factor Authentication workaround?

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Level 1

17 points

TFA Two Factor Authentication workaround?

Is there any way around the Two-Factor Authentication? I don't always carry my iPhone around the house & sometimes it's downstairs Charging and I'm upstairs using my Windows PC for this site. TFA gets to be really annoying. Can the TFAs be sent somewhere other than to my iPhone, like to an email or an app on my Windows 10 PC that I’m on when I want to use this site?

Please don’t tell me that I just need to get this home PC added as a Trusted Device. I tried that in another Question here last week and they had me doing things with logging into iTunes and iCloud and picking Trust This Device and we simply couldn’t get it to work.

I hate it that Microsoft put their Nokia Lumia Windows phones in hospice & then let them die, forcing us longtime loyal Microsoft people to move to iPhones or Androids 👎

While I’m with you experts, why does it warn me to not Share that 6-digit code with anyone? Is that # a key to something that never expires?

iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 15

Posted on Mar 13, 2022 4:40 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Lawrence Finch

Level 10

229,240 points

Mar 13, 2022 6:06 PM in response to vankjeff

You can set up multiple trusted phone numbers to receive codes. They can be landline, mobile or VoIP, and they don’t have to have SMS. Log in to https://appleid.apple.com, Click Security, and add as many additional secure numbers as you want: Spouse, children, parents, close friend, office phone. Or create a free Google Voice number that you can access from any computer by logging in to voice.google.com. Or a paid Skype number; same idea.

To use a trusted number, in the dialog that you posted tap or click “Didn’t get a verification code?” and you will see a list of your trusted devices.

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Answer 2

Mar 14, 2022 1:20 PM in response to vankjeff

On the dialog at the bottom of your post tap “Didn’t get a verification code?” and you will be given a choice of numbers to receive the code. If it isn’t a mobile you will get a voice call.

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Answer 3

vankjeff Author

Level 1

17 points

Mar 14, 2022 2:23 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

I've got it working now. I Deleted my Home Phone # and then reinstalled it and made sure to pick Voice Call. I just tested it and it worked. It hadn't been before even though I'd seen my Home Phone listed.

Thanks 👍

You said that if it isn't a Mobile Number, I would get a Voice Call but that hasn't been my experience. It was only sending a Text to me Cell every time by default even though my Home Number was listed in there.

Perhaps way back when I set it up I'd accidentally set up my Home Number to receive Text Messages and since that wouldn't work all it could do was send a Text to my cell?

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Answer 4

vankjeff Author

Level 1

17 points

Mar 13, 2022 5:36 PM in response to deggie

Oh OUCH.

Here's a weird idea. What if I just did that TFA thing once on a tab in my EDGE browser and then left that open with me logged in to Apple. Would Apple log me out after a certain period of inactivity?

I ask this since I leave my home computer on 24/7 and the only time it's Restarted is when Microsoft forces an Update on us that either happens Now if you're there to tap Now or it happens later that night.

So, I could just stay logged into Apple, couldn't I?

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Answer 5

vankjeff Author

Level 1

17 points

Mar 14, 2022 12:14 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

I already have my Home Phone listed there with my cell# but I don't remember it giving me an option to either Text or Voice Message either of the 2.

I just tried it again on my PC and this is all I get:

I went to that link https://appleid.apple.com that you just said to go to and it shows:

I'm so dumb. I just saw that phone handset icon next to each phone #. Do I just click those for a voice call or maybe it's already automatically sent it to my cell? But now it doesn't force me to do the TFA thing when I open this page from the link in the email notification but as far as I remember, it doesn't give me an option as to where or how to send the TFA number. It just shows this on my PC along with those 2 things to my cell phone:

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