How to turn off two factor authentication?

You apple have this Find My App in case we lost our phone. Then you ask us to find it by logging in to a different iphone or at icloud.com and what? Before we can proceed we will need the 2FA code from our missing phone? How is that helpful?

Psyche23 wrote:

You apple have this Find My App in case we lost our phone. Then you ask us to find it by logging in to a different iphone or at icloud.com and what? Before we can proceed we will need the 2FA code from our missing phone? How is that helpful?

No, you don't need a 2FA code to log into Find My iPhone on another computer.

Of course, you should also have at least one other device/number set up as trusted.

Here is one that makes zero sense. My airpods sometimes connect to my son's phone and his sometimes connect to mine. Today I had an important work call, and I couldn't use my airpods because my son's were connected to my phone. I had to use the speaker, which anyone in business will tell you, is completely JV and insolent at the same time. I share with my son because we both use apple music on my account.

Why on earth would apple not allow you to connect airpod A with phone A and airpod B with phone B, and just leave it that way? What possible logic could there be to phone A connecting to airpod B???? More total stupidity from Apple. Totally stupid.

dondelash wrote:

Family sharing is the stupidest setup ever. There should just be a simple on/off button list: Do you want to share with child A: Music: yes. Contacts: no. Photos: no. Bluetooth devices: No. Documents: No. etc. and then have that same repeated or all family members.

You should make that suggestion to Apple:

Product Feedback - Apple

You are right, I don't like it. If I give a little kid his own ID, doesn't that open up all kinds of trouble -- in-app purchases, content, etc. etc. My question is Why is family sharing all or nothing? I share SOME things with my kids, but I don't share everything, like the bank account, the liquor cabinet.... What is the point of family sharing if it makes you use devices "the way they were not intended"?

I'm not an expert in any of this, but Family Sharing works pretty well for my family of a tech-clueless wife, a too-clever 10 year old boy, and an 8 year old girl. We all have separate Apple IDs, and I control them all through Family Sharing. Nobody can pay for anything without my permission, and the kids can't even download apps without my approval. When they try to download something, it sends me an SMS on my computer, asking for my permission. And I can use Family Sharing to limit their time on various apps on each device. I'm not a fan of two factor authentication, but on a practical level individual Apple IDs controlled by Family Sharing works pretty well, once you get the hang of it.

I like Apple hardware, but the constant issues like this with IOS have rendered their products toys. I just use a PC for anything important or grown up productivity and just use Apple products for browsing and media.

Really disappointed that Apple has not identified alternate options for the 2-Factor identification. While I have dabbled in Apple products over the years, I have been happier with the flexibility offered on other operating platforms. My wife wanted to look fashionable and sheik, cajoled me into another device foray; first with an I-phone, and then with a family I-pad. Since she has no technical sense (and the boy is 11) I am the one who has to provision devices and provide support... often over a distance and via a non-apple device. One of the Apple staff's responses (in this thread) was that it really shouldn't be an inconvenience as it should be a rare occurrence. I find the disregard for user experiences and needs emblematic of the brand. Another retort indicated that security requirements are common and should be expected implying users should feel good about it. Again disregarding those outside of the author's experience and further disregarding that security is compromised when the rest of the family saves common Apple passwords and log-ins on other devices because Apple still views its tablets as a single user device. Please reconsider this hard requirement and/or find new security techniques to enable stronger point of entry protocols.   

One of the Apple staff's responses (in this thread) was that it really shouldn't be an inconvenience as it should be a rare occurrence. I find the disregard for user experiences and needs emblematic of the brand.

No Apple employee has contributed to this conversation.

Nobody here is advocating for Apple.

The original technical support question was asked and answered over 2 years and 117 pages ago. The "author" never spoke of their experience as you write.

They simply asked how to turn off 2FA. Again, that question was answered on the same day it was asked.

2 years ago.

That’s a bit disingenuous, Michael. My Apple ID controls my access to the features and functioning of my Apple device. The fact that the servers that handle the authentication process are external to the device is irrelevant to the fact that users are reporting issues using their devices caused by aspects of that authentication process.

If your iMessages settings allow a ‘text’ via Wi-Fi you don’t need a cell signal to receive the code. And unlike Google’s version, you don’t need two different devices as long as you’re receiving iMessages for the same Apple ID you’re trying to access on the device you’re trying with.

the iMessage appears in Messages, you open it and copy the code and then paste it where needed.

dondelash wrote:

You are right, I don't like it. If I give a little kid his own ID, doesn't that open up all kinds of trouble -- in-app purchases, content, etc. etc. My question is Why is family sharing all or nothing?

Family sharing doesn't mean you can't use parental controls.

Frwebb wrote:

If your iMessages settings allow a ‘text’ via Wi-Fi you don’t need a cell signal to receive the code. And unlike Google’s version, you don’t need two different devices as long as you’re receiving iMessages for the same Apple ID you’re trying to access on the device you’re trying with.

the iMessage appears in Messages, you open it and copy the code and then paste it where needed.

Apple's 2FA does not use SMS or iMessage for access codes -- 2FA access codes are sent via pop-up on an Apple device, or a phone call to your designated phone number associated with your ID.

I think if 2FA had been successfully implemented this thread wouldn't be so depressing to visit. Today I had to check on the status of a claim for a refund on a Christmas gift purchase. An email came to my iPhone 11Pro and I followed the instructions where it said:

Dear Marc, 

There’s been an update on your refund request for one or more items on your account. 

To review, visit Report A Problem. After logging in, click “Check Status of Claims” near the top of the page. 

Regards, 

Apple Support

When I followed the instructions it asked me to log in, I had to remember which apple ID, but that was pretty easy since I knew which country I had made the purchase in. When I logged in it asked for the 2FA code, I hadn't been sent anything and I have two valid phone numbers set up with that account. I had to search around my house for which device of dozens had the code on it. My MBPro had a login registered from 1000km away, which sounded suspicious. I ignored that request and tried using phone numbers eventually I successfully received the code but entering it on my iPhone didn't work and it kept returning me to a login page where I'd have to repeat the loop.

After a few attempts I picked up my MBP and started the process there rather than on my iPhone. Again it registered someone trying to log into my account from a completely different part of the country, but I ignored that it was incorrect and allowed the login. It now presented the code on my MBP and when I proceeded to login it again redirected me to a login page where I had to login yet again. The next time it worked.

My point is that Apple used to be the best because things just worked, 2FA doesn't just work on so many occasions its laughable and I'm a more computer savvy client than easily 95% of the population. Maybe in a controlled laboratory environment with the perfect mix of a single appleID and a minimum number of registered devices it works every time most of the time... ;) But in the real world 2FA is a flop and people are trying to make Apple aware of that, whether or not this thread is the right place to do so.

I sure hope they are working on coming up with something better because with awesome technology like FaceID, TouchID, 20+ character 1Password generated passwords Apple has somehow turned a simple login process into something that doesn't just work anymore using 2FA.

And it *****.

Marc

I don't usually use icloud, but my wife does. It's a pain in the arse when she needs me to find her phone to get the 2FA # for her.

MAKE IT OPTIONAL so we can shut the **** thing off !!! We don't need it to keep the online Kohl's coupons or Ladies'Club notifications extra-private.

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