Only can add 4 keys? Article says 6.

Only able to add 4 security keys to my Apple ID using my MacBook Pro with most recent OS. Why only 4? Article says 6 keys can be added. All keys are Yubikey 5 NFC

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 13.4

Posted on Jul 24, 2023 7:01 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 26, 2023 6:42 AM

Update:


Just this morning was able to successfully add 4x additional security keys to a “target” AppleID which was already protected by 2x security keys.


Hardware keys are a mix of YK 5 NFCs and YK 5C NFCs


”Target” AppleID contains 1x iPhone Xs, 1x iPad Pro, and 4x Apple TVs - all updated with “this week’s” OSs.


Keys were all installed via NFC on the Xs.


For additional “fun” tried installing a 7th key and received this alert:


9 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 26, 2023 6:42 AM in response to hshane

Update:


Just this morning was able to successfully add 4x additional security keys to a “target” AppleID which was already protected by 2x security keys.


Hardware keys are a mix of YK 5 NFCs and YK 5C NFCs


”Target” AppleID contains 1x iPhone Xs, 1x iPad Pro, and 4x Apple TVs - all updated with “this week’s” OSs.


Keys were all installed via NFC on the Xs.


For additional “fun” tried installing a 7th key and received this alert:


Jul 26, 2023 8:39 AM in response to Chattanoogan

Thank you for the reply. So I did managed to get a 5th key added.


However, I did not get it added via NFC. That was not work even with latest update. Tried removing passcode on iPhone 14 Pro Max in order to add, but no resolve.


I logged in to my Apple ID via web, and with fingerprint reader on MacBook Pro, and Added the key successfully this way. But it was still wonky this way. I had to press “continue” many times before it promoted to insert the key.


thank you for the replies.

Jul 27, 2023 5:46 AM in response to hshane

FYI:


After successfully adding 6x keys …


I successfully deleted one …


… but when entering the passcode to install a “different 6th key


… received the exact same error in the image you posted. 😕


But the next day I could indeed add the 6th key.


Perhaps Apple has a time delay on too-many / too-rapid modifications to such a security-sensitive feature … ???

Jul 24, 2023 7:39 PM in response to Chattanoogan

When doing it from my iPhone with latest iOS running (16.5.1 (c)) I get : “an unexpected error has occurred. Please try again later”. There is a “add security key” there and that is the response I get when choosing it and entering the passcode for my device. Once I enter passcode “an unexpected error has occurred”. On my Mac , there is a “+” to add a new security key, when I do this a box appears asking for mac password , and then nothing happens. I click continue but it doesn’t seem to want to do anything. The box looks like it wants to add another key, but I never get promoted for it.

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Only can add 4 keys? Article says 6.

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