Clicked on settings because of red 1. Then it asked for my iCloud six digit password. I entered the number. Was this legit or did I just get phished? Everything’s ok so far. I’m on a 5th gen, 12.9” iPad Pro
iPad Pro, 12.9-inch, 6th Gen, Wi-Fi
The alert badge that you observed is not necessarily an indication of something untoward or sinister - but may indeed be something that you do need to verify/check and correct. If the badge directs you the settings App, the alert has been generated by your device. Your Passcode relates to your device - and not your AppleID credentials.
Perhaps you were transferring your data and settings from an old to new iPad - or having setup the iPad “as new” have synchronised your existing iCloud Keychain (Password) with you new device. Your iPad will automatically alert you of account credentials/passwords that have been potentially compromised through a data-breach, or are unsafe for a variety of reasons.
From iPad settings, check you stored passwords:
Settings > Passwords > Security Recommendations
Here you will find details of Passwords that may have been potentially compromised for which action is recommended - or Passwords that are otherwise considered unsafe.
Additional information can be found within the iPad User Guide. Here is a direct link to the appropriate chapter of the Guide:
Change weak or compromised passwords on iPad - Apple Support
Hey there Reag,
While we're unsure of what you shared, nor with who, you're the only who would know this. That being said, if you believe your Apple ID(used for signing into iCloud) to be compromised, we recommend following the steps here: If you think your Apple ID has been compromised
Moving forward with troubleshooting, what exactly did you mean by clicking on 'settings because of red 1'? The more details you provide us, the better we'll understand what you meant.
Cheers!
You are very welcome. I hope this information sets your mind to rest.
The alert badge(s) that you may occasionally see are intended to draw your attention to something for which review or update is required. These are not an direct indication of device compromise.
Pop-up messages from Apps or web-pages are something else entirely - and should perhaps be treated with deserved suspicion.
Thanks. I’m inclined to go with your first paragraph…that this was ok and was generated by the device and not a hacker.
Also appreciate the reference to Security Recommendations, although what I saw was overwhelming numbers of recommendations to change pw’s because of appearance in data leaks!
What I meant was on my Home Screen I had a red “1” circle appear next to the Settings icon. It reminded me of the red circle that appears next to the Phone icon when I have missed a call or voicemail is waiting. I thought this meant that I needed to install an update or something, so I clicked on Settings and that’s when I received a message asking for my six digit number in order to keep my iCloud account active. The screen showed six squares in which I was able to type the number. When I finished typing the sixth number then I realized that maybe I shouldn’t have trusted the instruction. Very shortly the input squares went away. As I recall, I got no confirmation that my iCloud account was confirmed. I simply returned to the Settings screen and nothing seems to have changed.
Thank you for your consideration of this incident!
Phished?
