ANNOYING TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION WARNING

HolyRolly wrote:

Thanks, etresoft. Can you please direct me to the two-factor preference settings?

It is there in your screen shot. You have to click "Continue". Then, you can click on the radio button next to "Not now".

Sadly, you just have to be really careful with any Apple dialog these days. They are all designed to trick you into signing up for some new feature like two-factor authentication or iCloud Photos or updating to iOS 11. Always study all possible options. Look for a tiny, almost hidden "later" or "not now" button. It may be right under the "buy now" button or right at the bottom of the screen, far from the other options. It will never say "no" and it will always ask again.

And don't consider any of the advice I just gave you to be valid when Apple releases the next system update. Always wait for other people to try it first. They will report if there are any tricky options to be worried about. In the future, the "Continue" button might not give you a way to back out.

HolyRolly wrote:

It brings me to this and if I hit continue it wants a new password to set up two factor authenication. I don't see an option to decline.

It isn't going to commit you to anything at that point. Just go through the prompts. You will see the option to not do it now before Two-Factor actually gets set up.

Best,

GB

I think you have have accidentally clicked through at some point. There is no going back.

Now that I review your earlier posts, I think I was giving you the wrong advice the whole time. Those dialogs that you have clearly instruct you to "finish" setting up two-factor authentication.

I would like to think that I was just spouting off above when I said "there is no going back". But apparently, I was correct. Here are instructions from Apple about two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Apple Support

Jump down to the end, under "Can I turn off two-factor authentication after I’ve turned it on?". It says:

You can't turn off two-factor authentication for some accounts created in iOS 10.3 or macOS Sierra 10.12.4 and later. If you created your Apple ID in an earlier version of iOS or macOS, you can turn off two-factor authentication.

So, the question is, when did you create your Apple ID?

HolyRolly wrote:

My Apple ID was created years ago.

Last month, I DID accidentally turn on two-factor authentication following the prompts you see. I thought there would be a place to decline but it ended up setting it up. I then went in and shut it off but these messages appeared again...and again...and again...

Did you shut it off using the procedure described in Two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Apple Support ?

You can only turn it off on Apple's web site. You can't do it from your devices.

Hello HolyRolly,

You have to go into the two-factor preference setting and confirm that you don't want it.

Before you say anything, I know what you are going to say and I agree with it. I'm just the messenger.

I've turned off Two-Factor Authentication multiple times for testing purposes, and have not yet had to change my password to do so. I have to set up Security Questions. I have to use my existing password to make those changes, and have to use a verification code to do so, but I've not had to change my password.

Best,

GB

What is the warning, exactly?

GB

And what do you see when you click on "View"?

Best,

GB