Two Factor Authentication is unusable if you have no signal!

There may have been some confusion on what 2FA is. It is required to be on your Apple Account to use many services for your protection. The device you are using that is signed into your account and any other device that is signed into your account is a Trusted Device. You can use those devices for any of the services without needing a 2FA code.

• If you attempt to sign into your account on a device that is not a Trusted Device you will be sent a 2FA code to your Trusted Phone number to verify it is actually you.
• If you forget your Password, you will be sent a 2FA code to your Trusted Phone number to reset the Password. Other than that you will not be sent a 2FA code.

Two-factor authentication for Apple Account - Apple Support

If outages of ordinary wireless communications whether Wi-Fi or cellular are not an issue for y’all generally, but the the reception of the occasionally-needed two-factor code via Wi-Fi or cellular is an issue, then consider acquiring and switch to security keys; to authentication tokens.

Those tokens completely eliminate the need for Wi-Fi or cellular communications to receive the occasional two-factor authentication code for whatever Apple Account acrivity is happening that itself usually requires Wi-Fi or cellular communications.

About Security Keys for Apple Account - Apple Support

But…

None of that seems at all necessaary, however.

For this case, none of what you are accessing is at all relevent to nor should trigger two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication gets involved (very occasionally) with iOS or iPadOS updates, and (more commonly) gets involved when a new iPhone or iPad or Mac has referenced your Apple Account and password. In normal situations (when not adding new or reconfiguring devices), two-factor authentication only very rarely prompts. When somebody has compromised upur Apple ID, ypu’ll get a verification prompt in a trusted device (via Wi-Fi or cellular), and access will be blocked without that code. Or without an associated security key, if hardware tokens have been configured in place of two-factor authentication via iMessage / spoken phone call / SMS.

https://help.apple.com/pdf/personal-safety/en_US/personal-safety-user-guide.pdf (page 95)

Mike_yahoo wrote:

Why does Apple not realize that when people travel sometimes they are in areas with NO SERVICE, so 2 Factor Auth doesn't work, and using a trusted number is also NOT an option because your travel partner also doesn't have a signal?

I have to keep opting out of it because I regularly travel to areas in the USA with no signal, (they exist) but still need my phone for other functions, and I have read horror stories of people unable to use their phone for anything if they can't 2FA because of no signal. The Apple Genius I spoke with confirmed this is a problem and that once you get 2FA, you can't opt out.

This is also a problem in a foreign country when your cell provider doesn't have foreign roaming without ridiculous fees.

The annoying thing about this is I am unable to use Apple Pay or Apple Wallet without 2FA.

Apple needs to make an Authenticator app that does not require access to internet or cell service for 2FA.

Name me an app that doesn't require internet connection.

When you use financial app, it either calls or sends you a SMS, can't receive that if you have no signal.

Are you barking down your phone carrier throat as well?

Is the problem that you forgot your Password and that is why you need the 2FA code? I don't need the code or cellular service to use any of your listed apps and surely don't need it to unlock my phone.

Mike_yahoo wrote:

The Apple store genius that I talked to in-person said if you have 2FA, you can't use your phone for anything without the 2FA code. He said you cant log into the phone.

That is not true.