I WANT TO TURN OFF TWO FACTOR VERIFICATION!!!!! It is a total pain in the butt and I want the option to turn it off. Help!!!!! How can apple not allow us to turn this time-suck feature off? I want to register my frustration.

I'm ****** off at it too... it's got me trapped (on 2 computers) for reasons not mentioned here... but in your case, it would be based on the phone number (not hardware/brand). If you go to your AppleID page online you can add your phone number and it will send the code to that phone (as long as it receives texts).

My problem is that I have two iMacs running Mavericks (for specific reasons too long to go into here). Everything was fine until a few weeks ago. They are at two locations. First sign was issues with iCloud on the computer. Can't remember now exactly what the issue was, but I was basically forced to delete everything, then resign in. That's what the language of the popups indicated. So I did. What a mess! But I was able to do that and get signed in, and then re-sync to the Cloud.

Then I checked "Find My" (no longer "Find my iPhone" on iOS13) and it renamed that computer to ERASED MAC and could no longer pinpoint location, just shows "online". That was scary. The iMac was was NOT erased (but I had to erase the contents of iCloud on that computer). The name was not changed on my iPad running iOS12+. I was able to sign back in to iCloud and select what to sync and it seems to be working? CS had no idea what happened. It seemed to be a "Find My" iOS13 issue.

So I finally get home, and turn on the twin to that computer. First thing I notice are some oddities with Mail and iCloud account (seems to have dissappeared?). So I go to System Preferences to check iCloud. I am signed in, but can not access ANYTHING unless I enter my iCloud password. So I do. THEN, it says it needs the code from my device. But there is no place on the iMac to enter it! Once I enter my password, the window is gone. For good. Unless I close System Preferences to trigger it all again. So I tried to trick it and do it all quickly, so I could add the 6 digit code to the end of my password (while there was still a box to enter it). Didn't work.

So I sought a way to TURN OFF 2FA even just for 30 minutes so I could get out of this loop - and NO... you can not do that!!!

My biggest issue is that it was NEVER MADE CLEAR ANYWHERE that I would never be able to turn it off (after the 14days). My second issue is that I received non-stop nags to turn it on before I was ready to during a switch around with 2 AppleTVS, 2 iPhones, iPad, 2 24" iMacs and a 27" iMac. I might have turned it on - just to shut it up, but wasn't done with my setups (which made it a HUGE pain in the arse). But to be honest, I am not sure if I even did that. I think what really triggered this whole slippery slope into chaos was getting a new iPhone 11 running iOS 13 (or maybe just updating the previous iPhone to iOS13 a couple of weeks earlier?)

In any case, I did not have any problems with iCloud (except the occassional inconvenience of having to run to another room to find a trusted device) pre iOS 13. I guess they decided that Mavericks needed a downgrade at the same time? Because even though it is admittedly old, iCloud worked fine on it - until iOS 13 was released. Yet oddly, if you log in via a browser... it still uses "Find my iPhone" (not just "Find My").

And yes, I have complained through the regular channels... but seriously doubt they care or read anything there anymore.

That has ZERO relationship to my issue. I get the code sent to my iPhone AND iPad. The problem is that the OS is requesting the code, but not allowing me to enter it.

In order to change what is (currently) syncing to the computer (because it is logged into iCloud) I have to enter my iCloud password. I enter it, and the log in window disappears... then, I get the code on the “trusted device” and there is nowhere to enter it on the computer. The login dropdown vanished as soon as I entered the password (which prompts the 2FA code to be sent). It’s an endless loop. I’ve lost all control over what is syncing (or not) on both of those computers. What was already set to sync before whatever changed, still syncs. I just can’t turn a feature on or off anymore, because I can’t access my own settings.

This could be remedied if they allowed us to turn 2FA off... even for a timed off, say an hour. Just to allow us to do workarounds for situations they didn’t foresee in their great wisdom.

This should not affect “security” if I can prove it is ME with all of my devices and location services and security questions...

it would just allow us to be more functional.

It is especially disingenuous because there is no CLEAR warning WHEN TURNING 2FA ON, that it can never be reversed!!!! I never saw an email (in fact, I am going to do a deep search for that pink unicorn). We are busy with our daily lives and constantly bombarded with notifications, updates, etc... and usually, at a very importune moment (or so it seems!)

This information should have been baked into the process of turning 2FA on!!!! NOT IN AN EMAIL AFTER THE FACT.

That is what makes it especially maddening. And inconsiderate, to put it nicely.

NO. Not like THAT!

I certainly found the information AFTER the fact. I mean, BEFORE you opt in, in whatever screen you see AT THE TIME.

Along the lines of a warning... what it means if you do this (or don’t do it). This is missing for a lot of actions, yet is in place for others.

It should NOT be in an email later.

NOT by posting a question somewhere.

We should not have to google something like that in advance.

It’s obvious that many people were taken by surprise...

I have never experienced such Draconian measures before with Apple, although I am now forewarned.

Furthermore...

I found the email from when I turned on two-factor authentication.

It includes a link to Turn Off Two-Factor

Then says the link will expire (on a date about two weeks from email).

“After this date, the only way to turn off two-factor authentication will be to sign in to your Apple ID account page with your password and a six-digit verification code.”

I see no mention of NEVER being able to turn it off again! I also remember being able to turn it on or off. I NEVER got notice that I was locked out, until I was trapped in this loop. And in fact, the first Apple Support people I got, thought I still could!

So something has changed.

I don’t know when...

We should not have to google something like that in advance.

It’s obvious that many people were taken by surprise...

I highly doubt the billions of Google searches are after the fact research. I'm sure most are in fact advance research.

To me, it's obvious people don't pay attention to an email coming in that offers a chance to reverse their decision for 2 weeks.

Hardly Draconian. The consequences of your actions were made available to you in advance. That you feel one shouldn't have to Google such a decision notwithstanding.

A 14 day option to reverse your decision was offered. That you don't feel this is appropriate notwithstanding.

As much as you do not wish to hear it.. you could have avoided this.

Getting to the feature in question... a large number of contributions here are from those do not understand how 2FA actually functions. They mistakenly believe they need 2 devices. They complain of how long the verification process takes.

Going forward, Apple is not likely to move backwards and will likely tie more iOS/iCloud/macOS features to 2FA which may make resistance even more futile.

Then says the link will expire (on a date about two weeks from email).

“After this date, the only way to turn off two-factor authentication will be to sign in to your Apple ID account page with your password and a six-digit verification code.”

That is an old message. Apple removed that ability maybe a year ago or more. At one time you could indeed toggle it off and on.

I didn’t give to anyone. Haha

I got a temp job at Apple and to connect to iMessage on the laptop I had to use my personal appleId. This is what their technician told me.

And for the purpose of my job, I needed to be able to access that. So I did it. I didn’t give him the information but I also didn’t realize(also didn’t see the change happen) that the work phone number would overtake my personal one as the two factor.

Had I seen/known, TRUST ME I would have NEVER done that.

Apple products are great, but the support "conversation" can really suuuuck! This answer is not an answer. It is a regurgitation of what is on the support site. 2-factor is indeed a time suck. Why make people search around first in System Preferences and then on the internet to find out that you can't turn it off? Just say so in the Preferences password page!

"I highly doubt the billions of Google searches are after the fact research. I'm sure most are in fact advance research."

So, you think that when someone gets a new Mac, before they start using it up high on their list of first things to do is to research whether or not once 2-factor authentication can be turned off? Because why, that's what everybody does before they hit a toggle in system preferences...do extensive research to find out if they can toggle it off? That's ridiculous.

and by the way, the product feedback site (linked in the "answer") has no way to feed back specifically about any of the the OSes or about Apple ID items. So it's even more of a non-answer, and more an exhibition that this part of the system is both perfect and unchangeable, not subject to the cares and concerns of mere users.

Exactly! That's not how it was before and they made the change without it being loud and clear to everyone.

It's written somewhere and unless something happens and you are looking for it, you wouldn't know. And it's not like they tell you that their customer service reps can't do anything to help you either.

So yes, very disingenuous of them.

koriandr129 wrote:

Exactly! That's not how it was before and they made the change without it being loud and clear to everyone.

It's written somewhere and unless something happens and you are looking for it, you wouldn't know.

What are you going on about? When you turned on 2FA you got an email confirming that you have turned it on. That email said you could change your mind for 2 weeks, and the email even had a link to turn it off. HOW MUCH LOUDER AND CLEARER COULD THAT HAVE BEEN? Should Apple have sent a representative to your home to ring your doorbell and tell you?

That was so long ago (5 years?) that I don’t remember it.

I note that Amazon now requires 2FA for their Ring security products, as does Google for their paid business cloud services and their security products.

With all of the well-publicized compromised credentials from hundreds of websites, as well as Equifax and now Citrix, everyone should have 2FA for everything they log into. It is now so easy to impersonate anyone thanks to these breaches with what was once “confidential” information that anyone who wants to take over any account that you have (including your Apple ID) can get a password reset by calling support and “proving” they are "you" using this compromised information. So the only reason an Apple ID without 2 FA hasn’t been hacked is because no one wanted to hack that account - yet.

For me... the bigger issue isn’t having it or not. It’s that we opted in when we could toggle it on or off. And it was clearly stated at the time. Then, they changed that without any notification. Even some of the support people weren’t aware that it could not be toggled off anymore...

I ran into an issue where it wasn’t working right, and needed to toggle it off temporarily in order to resolve it. It took many hours of customer support and google to discover that what I had opted in to - had changed. I’m still stuck in a loop, which could have been readily fixed if I had the control I was given when I opted in.

2FA IS bothersome, and I frequently have to run to another room to get another device when I am trying to do something quickly... and what if battery dead, lost, etc... but I put up with it for "security" (which seems more like a joke every day.)

But to not allow us to even turn it off for an hour or so (or even for customer support to be able to turn it off so something buggy can get fixed) is beyond the pale... on TOP of the fact that they changed the "rules" AFTER the fact - WITHOUT DISCLOSURE. Which wasted a LOT of my time going backwards to discover what happened. Apple Support couldn’t even tell me WHEN the change happened. But I found all of my emails and NONE of them informed me of the change. I only found the one that said that I COULD turn it on or off when I opted in. And I was able to do that several times since then. So didn’t worry. The ONLY reason I opted in was because I could turn it off - if needed.

Sadly, it appears that Apple is going the way of the other behemoths in what they "allow" us to do. Or make available. Or take away. It’s no longer about the customer. Things that used to make life easier are harder... or gone. In favour of Animojis.

Does anyone actually think that texting, spellcheck, or writing an email are easier in iOS 13+? How about all those (toolbar type) options hogging up screen space, that you can not rearrange, customize or toggle off? (even if you never need them, and hit them by accident) This in turn, forces the phones to be larger. I never got a plus model for that reason. My iPhone 11 is too big (and heavy!) But now, I have no choice!

My elderly mother still has my iPhone 4. I used it to text the other day and it was sooo responsive and snappy! (even if tiny) Unbelievable! So easy. I had forgotten. Puts iPhone 11 to shame...

Progress?