Two-Factor Authentication on Apple Devices - constant pressure to comply

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I have high sierra on my iMac, it's never asked me to use 2FA.
 
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@macgig, your iMac won't ask for 2FA, but Apple will if you log into iCloud, or the iTunes store. All the iMac will seek is the login password for your account.
 

chscag

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I have high sierra on my iMac, it's never asked me to use 2FA.

If you install Mojave, it will flag System Preferences Security and Privacy. You can still refuse 2FA from there, but until you do, System Preferences will nag you with a small "1" over its icon.
 
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How can I possibly turn off the TFA if I accidentally continued with the installation?
 
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How can I possibly turn off the TFA if I accidentally continued with the installation?


I think you might be up the creek without a paddle, but you MAY have a small Time-limited window available to undo it If I understand properly what Apple is saying, If so, don't hesitate to reverse things:

Can I turn off two-factor authentication after I’ve turned it on?
If you already use two-factor authentication, you can no longer turn it off. Certain features in the latest versions of iOS and macOS require this extra level of security, which is designed to protect your information. If you recently updated your account, you can unenroll within two weeks of enrollment. Just open your enrollment confirmation email and click the link to return to your previous security settings. Keep in mind, this makes your account less secure and means that you can't use features that require higher security.



- Patrick
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IWT

IWT


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@pettycash,

How can I possibly turn off the TFA if I accidentally continued with the installation?

Like Patrick, I believe there is a short Window which may allow this.

But if you don't mind my asking, why do you want to remove this extra layer of security? Reason I'm interested is that there may be valid reasons for rejecting 2FA; but on the whole, it is harmless at least and secure at most. Would we not want any additional security for our privacy?

Please tell us your views. Genuinely interested.

Ian
 

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@pettycash

Apple will allow you to turn it off provided you're within that two week envelope. Just explain to them that you accidentally turned it on and that you prefer to return to your previous way of security identification.
 
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But if you don't mind my asking, why do you want to remove this extra layer of security? Reason I'm interested is that there may be valid reasons for rejecting 2FA; but on the whole, it is harmless at least and secure at most. Would we not want any additional security for our privacy?


Excuse me for butting in, but we just went through some really annoying hassles with such a shared 2FA TV Account on our new replacement Smart TV, but luckily our son who owns and shares the account was down from Whitehorse visiting. I wouldn't want to imaging what it would have been like trying to set it up remotely if he was still in Whitehorse and I wouldn't wish the unnecessary hassles on anybody.


- Patrick
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I hesitated to go ahed with both TFA and keychain which have caused so much confusing and frustration to the devices as they basically link everything with one password. When I changed it on one device, it screwed up others. I know TFA is different from the keychain but am not sure if it will cause similar issues.
 
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@pettycash

You are absolutely at liberty to choose what you want to do :smile . I was asking out of genuine interest. As I think you stated yourself, Apple-specific Keychain, an app on your Mac & iDevices, has nothing to do with 2FA.

You might, or not, wish to share your problems with about Keychain. Maybe we can help. Better to start a new thread about Keychain.

What "confusion & frustration" have you had with Keychain and, apparently also with 2FA? And what do you mean that "they basically link everything with one password"?

Keychain is only linked to your Admin PW for the Mac and the Passcode for iDevices - not really the same. And 2FA has nothing to do with any of that.

How can I possibly turn off the TFA if I accidentally continued with the installation?

You mean when you set up your Apple ID? If unhappy, follow our Admin chscag's advice in post #27, which Patrick and I also mentioned. But do it soon.

We can help you in any way you want. Just ask.:smile

Ian
 
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I like 2FA for the security. I have multiple devices where the passcode arrives, so it really works well. I don't understand the philosophy behind not using it. It's a bit like having a lock on the door to your house, but never locking it. Why would you do that?
 
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I like 2FA for the security. I have multiple devices where the passcode arrives, so it really works well.


That's great Jake, and that's for if and when it does work properly, but when it doesn't, as per my example above, It can be a real pain in the rear end and prevent things from working as they should.

Personally, in such a case, I can't understand why a Shared TV Account would need such strong security in the first place. It certainly is not the same as a Personal bank account I would think.



- Patrick
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That's great Jake, and that's for if and when it does work properly, but when it doesn't, as per my example above, It can be a real pain in the rear end and prevent things from working as they should.

Personally, in such a case, I can't understand why a Shared TV Account would need such strong security in the first place. It certainly is not the same as a Personal bank account I would think.



- Patrick
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Patrick, Apple's implementation works well. Why would you share with someone that far away? And why not have the 2FA code come to YOU instead of to him? The idea of 2FA is for YOU to prove that YOU are the one trying to do what you want to do, so the code to do that should come to you.
 
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Why would you share with someone that far away?

It's my son's account and who's doing the sharing with his family member Jake.

Just to clarify the situation...


- Patrick
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It's my son's account and who's doing the sharing with his family member Jake.

Just to clarify the situation...


- Patrick
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Ah, OK, then, it's working exactly as intended. When you try to make a change, it sends the confirmation to him as it is HIS account. If you don't want to contact him in Whitehorse, you should think about getting your own account.
 
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Ah, OK, then, it's working exactly as intended. When you try to make a change, it sends the confirmation to him as it is HIS account. If you don't want to contact him in Whitehorse, you should think about getting your own account.


I think you missed some points Jake, as I said,
but luckily our son who owns and shares the account was down from Whitehorse visiting.
, and if we got our own account, that would defeat the whole point of sharing one, wouldn't you agree???

And it was he who was having the unnecessary problems with the 2FA authorization with his account which he said should not have been happening.



- Patrick
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I got those points, Patrick. But from your description, the 2FA worked exactly as designed. Changes were requested, the system asked for confirmation of his authority to make the changes. I don't know what the "unnecessary problems" were, but the 2FA seems to have worked. In any event, it's not Apple's implementation. When I try to do something that Apple thinks is security involved, I get a code on my iPhone, iPad,  Watch and on Messages on my MBP to be put into the appropriate input space on the screen. All of those devices have security set up to be used by just me--facial recognition on my iPhone,  Watch tied to the iPhone, iPad uses fingerprint, MBP has a password for my account. If someone tries to make a change to MY AppleID, for example, as soon as they try, the code comes to me, not them. If my devices are stolen, they have the security mechanisms I've already listed. So basically, when 2FA kicks in for me, it's dead simple to get the security code into any and all of those devices to satisfy the security check.

I've only seen one mess up with 2FA. My wife was out for the day and I decided to do some updating on her Mac. I had her AppleID and password, so I thought I was set. Some of the changes were simple, but one required 2FA. The challenge was that she had her iPhone with her, so the code I needed went to her. When I realized that, I just left it and figured I'd come back to it when she came home. She did call a few minutes later about the strange code on her iPhone, worried it was somehow a security issue. I told her what I was doing, we laughed about it and let it go. When she got home, I repeated the thing I wanted to do, got the code on her iPhone, entered it and the process finished. I called it a "mess up" but the only mess was me forgetting that what I wanted to do was a security issue. 2FA worked perfectly but the user had a fault.
 
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@Jake
I got those points, Patrick. But from your description, the 2FA worked exactly as designed. Changes were requested, the system asked for confirmation of his authority to make the changes. I don't know what the "unnecessary problems" were, but the 2FA seems to have worked.


I guess I wasn't as detailed as I should have been with the 2FA problem that he encountered, and it would not work the way it was supposed to. But let's just leave it at that, and he was eventually able to overcome the problem with a few more tries and using the facial expression approval he had set up on his iPhone.


- Patrick
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Rod


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In it's simplest terms 2FA requires that you confirm any major action or change on one device with a code delivered to another (or often the same) "trusted" device.
In the case of my MBP, logging into my Apple Account for example from a new browser might request a confirmation code. If so it will be delivered to my "trusted" devices which includes my MBP. So if I drag the notification aside I see the code that I need to enter. Contrary to opinion this does not defeat the point because I am on a "trusted" device. If I wasn't I would have to get the code from my iPhone or iPad.
 
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Knowing how the 2FA works with Apple devices certainly helps. On the other hand the 2FA can give you some anxiety, if you don't know that; for example...

If you reset/reinstall the iPhone iOS, it is no longer a trusted device. When you try to login to your iCloud account on the reinstalled iPhone device at the first time, it'll ask for the six-digit PIN number.

The first time I reinstalled the iOS on my iPhone, that exactly what happened. Since I have never used iMessaging on the MBP, I didn't know where to get the PIN number from. It took me awhile to realize that the PIN number is on the MBP and at the second time around, I knew where to look for it.
 

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