My daughter is traveling overseas and got a new SIM card for her iPhone 6s. iCloud and her phone seems to be functional (Find My Friends works) but she is getting verification codes for Apple vis text. Example:
Your Apple ID Verification Code is xxxxx
There is no information on where to enter this number as well.
Any info on what this could be?
Thank you
iPhone 6s, iOS 11.2.5
Taken directly from the two-factor authentication page:
“If you're signing in and don’t have a trusted device handy that can display verification codes, you can have a code sent to your trusted phone number via text message...”
I have 2FA enabled and a trusted phone number for my account. I was able to receive a text message with the exact wording the OP has stated. I did, however, receive notifications on all my devices to allow or deny access to my account from the location I was trying to log in from. On the device I was trying to sign in, there is a link that says “Didn’t get a verification code?” which gave the option to send the code via text. It is possible that the notification to allow or deny was dismissed without really being paid attention to or didn’t go through due to lack of internet connectivity and the person attempting to sign in had the code sent via text.
Taken directly from the two-factor authentication page:
“If you're signing in and don’t have a trusted device handy that can display verification codes, you can have a code sent to your trusted phone number via text message...”
I have 2FA enabled and a trusted phone number for my account. I was able to receive a text message with the exact wording the OP has stated. I did, however, receive notifications on all my devices to allow or deny access to my account from the location I was trying to log in from. On the device I was trying to sign in, there is a link that says “Didn’t get a verification code?” which gave the option to send the code via text. It is possible that the notification to allow or deny was dismissed without really being paid attention to or didn’t go through due to lack of internet connectivity and the person attempting to sign in had the code sent via text.
6 digit verification codes can be sent via SMS if two-factor authentication is enabled for the Apple ID, 4 digits if the older two-step verification is enabled. These codes are generated when you try to sign into your Apple ID with another device. It adds an extra step so that accounts are protected by more than just a password. If the newer two-factor authentication is enabled, login attempts will generate a notification on each trusted device before a code is even generated*. These unexpected messages could be coming from someone else attempting to log into her account. You may want to verify with her the number of digits in the verification code and have her log into her account at appleid.apple.com and check the Security section to see what kind of security is enabled for the account. If the number of digits and type of security matches what I stated in my first sentence, she needs to change her Apple ID password immediately. I'm also linking the following article just in case: If you think your Apple ID has been compromised - Apple Support
*However it is still possible to have the code sent via SMS without interacting with these notifications.
OriginalName022 wrote:
6 digit verification codes can be sent via SMS if two-factor authentication is enabled for the Apple ID,
Two-factor authentication codes are not sent via SMS; they are sent using an internal Apple notification protocol. SMS has been determined to be hackable, so Apple does not use it for 2FA (and it's why Apple is forcing users to 2FA). Two-step can be sent via SMS to non-Apple devices, but SMS is not used to Apple devices unless you specifically request it when setting up your two-step trusted devices.
Apple does not send verification codes by text. So these are scams, hoping she will click on a link in the text.
Apple ID verification via text
