The 'Setup Two-Factor Authentication' button is present on both my Macbook running OS X El Capitan and iPhone 6S running iOS 9.0.2, but when I click on it on either device I get the message 'Two-factor authentication is not available for your Apple ID at this time'. Anyone else getting this. I thought the setup button only appears once it's available for you to set it up.
iPhone 6s, iOS 9.0.2
Two-factor authentication will be made available to users who meet the system requirements below on all the devices they use with their Apple ID.
- iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 9
- Mac with OS X El Capitan and iTunes 12.3
- Apple Watch with watchOS 2
- Apple TV (4th generation) with tvOS
- Windows PC with iCloud for Windows v.5 and iTunes 12.3
Other criteria will also be used to determine availability. So even if you meet all the system requirements, you might not be offered two-factor authentication right away. We'll increase availability over time, until we can offer the feature to everyone.
There's the official word guys. Please refer to this article
Availability of two-factor authentication in iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan - Apple Support
I had this exact problem and have retried from time to time during the last 12 months to activate the two-factor authentication in the hope that the message "Two-factor authentication is not available for your Apple ID at this time" would go away sometimes.
Unfortunately that never happened, so I called Apple Support and they gave me the solution! 🙂
I have a Mac with OS X 10.11 El Capitan and an iPhone 5s with iOS 10.2.1.
Here is the solution:
The error message given when attempting to activate the two-factor authentication can be misleading or wrong!
Very often, the problem is that the own Apple ID account setup is not complete and some some important recovery information is missing to Apple. This might be either:
Once all the required information about your Apple ID is complete, the activation of the two-factor authentication should work (that was the case for me: my primary e-mail address was not verified).
I'm incredibly annoyed by the way Apples does this. I have a macbook, a W10 PC and an android phone, and because of this terrible system, I'm not able to see my email on my android device. I'm thinking of completely leaving Apple because of the way they purposely block other devices such as Android devices. Way to go Apple!
There is nothing stated on any Apple website that children are unable to have 2FA. An iPod touch or iPad can be a trusted device, so they don't even have to have a phone. And COPP does not prevent them them from having an online presence, it just requires parental consent to set them up online.
If their profile doesn't show a compatible device, that may be why you're not seeing 2FA for them.
LACAllen wrote:
There is nothing stated on any Apple website that children are unable to have 2FA. An iPod touch or iPad can be a trusted device, so they don't even have to have a phone. And COPP does not prevent them them from having an online presence, it just requires parental consent to set them up online.
If their profile doesn't show a compatible device, that may be why you're not seeing 2FA for them.
iPhone 6s, iOS 9.3
appleid web also mentioned: Your correct birth date is required to enable some Apple services.
Someone helped to test and confirm:
Two-Factor Authentication is not available for Child's Apple ID?
I think that is referring to the iCloud service, which is unrelated to an Apple ID itself.
Kids under 13 are absolutely able to have an Apple ID. In fact they also mention iCloud services specifically as being available to a child under 13 on this page... so there appears to be a contradiction here.
Family Sharing and Apple ID for your child - Apple Support
Yes, same issue here. I get the same message on my iPad, iPhone and MBPr and all are running the required software. Articles, that I have read, indicated that the 2FA option would be available if your iCloud account was enabled for 2FA. This is also from Apple's own Support Article, "If two-factor authentication is available for your Apple ID, the button will be present and you can continue with enrollment. If you don't see a button, two-factor authentication isn't available yet for your Apple ID." https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205075
If I go to MyAppleID, only the option to turn on Two-Step Verification is there. So, issue or incomplete roll-out is definitely on Apple's end.
March 22nd I still don't have this enabled on my eligible devices
https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT205075
Maybe Apple thinks New York City is not a critical market or it's always 4:20 in Cupertino and getting around to it will harsh their mellow.
Warning!!
Do NOT activate two-factor authentication on any device (i.e. iPhone having if you have devices running on older OS and connected to your iCloud (mail, Cal, iPhoto, etc which were working seamlessly) - Check requirements on Availability of two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Apple Support
One of my devices is an "old" iMac (2010) running on 10.7.5 which until then worked seamlessly with my iCloud account, synchronizing all apps as it should. After hours of investigation why on ALL devices - also those running on the LATEST OS/iOS like 10.3.1 - nothing regarding to the iCloud account worked/synced anymore, i found out that this 10.7.5 could be the causing problem. I deactivated the two-factor authentication (you will have to (re)create new security questions - of which it is likely that you won't remember the correct answers to, confirm secondary email address with confirmation link, etc. - see also http://osxdaily.com/2016/08/17/disable-two-factor-authentication-apple-id/) and all returned back to normal.
What a mess this so easy to activate two-factor authentication caused!!
If you are still unable to turn off 2 factor authentication, you have to select completely new security questions. If you do not, you get stuck in a loop. This worked for me.
Thank you for the quick reply. I was on the phone with an Apple Support Senior Advisor when I asked you the question. Their position is that the issue is due to the fact that I am running iOS 9.1 beta. That is entirely possible. However, I then stated that others on the forum are having the exact same issue and they are not running any beta software. They did not know what to say to that other than to please let those people know to contact Apple Support and that they will try to resolve the issue. They said that no one has called about this, but, that may be entirely due to not many people trying to enable 2FA. So, please call.
Ah, ok, thanks. I didn't want to go to them straight away because I know what they're like and they will probably want me to try everything I've already tried, and I wanted to check with other users first, but sounds like it'll be worth doing. Thanks 🙂
Something I have noticed, actually, when I look at the devices associated with my Apple ID, it says for both of them (my 12 inch MacBook and my iPhone 6S) that "This device cannot be used to receive Apple ID verification codes", which I'm guessing may have something to do with it. Whether it's some setting that needs to be changed or something that needs to be done at Apple's end I'll have to find out when I call them, but it might be worth others checking.
Ok. I've spoken to support who referred it to the accounts team and came back to me and confirmed that it's just to do with the roll-out. Apparently they've just added the button to the iCloud settings despite what they initially said, so you just have to keep trying till it works.
And the reason for the "This device cannot be used to receive Apple ID verification codes" is because devices can only receive codes once they become trusted devices i.e. once you've turned 2FA on and selected them.
So just the usual confusion!
My friend in the UK has just enabled "Two Factor Authentication" on his iPhone.
So, I disabled "Two Step Verification" on mine, thinking yay, I'll turn on 2 factor.
Nope, not available for your apple id 😟
Still unable to turn on two-factor authentication even when the Set-up button is present
