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2 factor authentication

I need to remove 2 factor authentication because I no longer use an Apple phone. I only check my email using webmail and I keep my old iPhone 4s just to do that. I don't see anywhere to forward my 2 factor authentication codes to my Android phone. How can I get rid of the 2 factor authentication.


I'm guessing my next step is to completely get rid of any icloud account and forfeit my mail accounts but it's kind of silly to have to do that just because of some authentication complexity.


Any hint is welcome.


Thanks for any help.

iPhone 4s, iOS 9

Posted on May 14, 2021 8:55 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 14, 2021 9:04 AM

If its been more than 14 days since 2 factor authentication was activated it cannot be turned off If its been less than 14 days since activation, you need to use the link in the confirmation email you received when you activated 2 Factor Authentication to turn it off.


You can set any SMS capable phone (Apple, Android, land line, other) as a trusted phone number to receive 2 Factor Authentication codes either via SMS or through a voice call.


See here: link-> Two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Managed Trusted Phone Numbers - Apple Support


Do note, that you should not need to receive a code every time you log in. You should only need to do it once, and then trust the computer and browser you are using if its always the same one, so that a code is not required every time.


3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 14, 2021 9:04 AM in response to sergefromusa

If its been more than 14 days since 2 factor authentication was activated it cannot be turned off If its been less than 14 days since activation, you need to use the link in the confirmation email you received when you activated 2 Factor Authentication to turn it off.


You can set any SMS capable phone (Apple, Android, land line, other) as a trusted phone number to receive 2 Factor Authentication codes either via SMS or through a voice call.


See here: link-> Two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Managed Trusted Phone Numbers - Apple Support


Do note, that you should not need to receive a code every time you log in. You should only need to do it once, and then trust the computer and browser you are using if its always the same one, so that a code is not required every time.


May 14, 2021 3:08 PM in response to Phil0124

Here's the info I'm getting :

Unfortunately... I don't see Android


What are the system requirements for two-factor authentication?

For the best experience, make sure that you meet these system requirements on all of the devices you use with your Apple ID:

  • iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 9 and later
  • Mac with OS X El Capitan and iTunes 12.3 and later
  • Apple Watch with watchOS 2 and later
  • Apple TV HD with tvOS
  • Windows PC with iCloud for Windows 5 and iTunes 12.3.3 and later

...

I tried to look a little further to see if I could add a device to my list of devices and this came up:


Add a device to the list

To add a device to the list, you need to sign in with your Apple ID. After you sign in on a device with your Apple ID, that device appears in the list. Here's where you need to sign in:

  • For iOS 9 and later, sign in to iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, iTunes & App Stores, or Game Center on the device. You can also see your paired Apple Watch.
  • For iOS 8, sign in to iCloud or iTunes & App Store on the device. You can also see your paired Apple Watch.
  • For OS X Yosemite and later or Windows 10 and later, sign in to iCloud on the device. 
  • For Apple TV HD and later, sign in to the iTunes and App Store on the device.
  • For Apple TV (3rd generation) and earlier, sign in to the iTunes Store on the device.
  • If any of your devices are using earlier versions of iOS, OS X, or tvOS, you won’t see them in your device list.


Apple does not seem to let me add a non-apple device to the list of connected devices.

May 15, 2021 4:51 PM in response to sergefromusa

No, you can't add an Android device as a trusted device, but you can add an Android device's phone number as a trusted number to receive SMS or voice calls with the code.


Update your trusted phone number on your Apple ID account page

  1. Go to appleid.apple.com.
  2. Sign in with your Apple ID.
  3. Go to the Security section and click Edit.

If you want to add a phone number, click Add a Trusted Phone Number and enter the phone number. Choose to verify the number with a text message or automated phone call, and click Continue. To remove a trusted phone number, click  next to the phone number you want to remove.




2 factor authentication

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