How to turn on two-factor authentication for your Apple Account on an iPhone
2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 2 October 2026
Open Settings, tap your name, then Sign-In & Security, and turn on Two-Factor Authentication. Enter a phone number you trust to receive codes. Most accounts already have it on, and it usually cannot be turned off again.
With two-factor authentication, signing in to your Apple Account on a new device needs your password and a six-digit code that appears on a device you already own. A stolen password alone is then not enough.
The pictures are simplified diagrams of the iPhone screens, not screenshots, so yours will look a little different.
Step by step
Open Settings and tap your name
It is at the top.
Tap Sign-In & Security
The page shows whether two-factor authentication is on.
Turn on Two-Factor Authentication
Tap it and follow the steps.
Enter a trusted phone number
Apple sends a code by text message or phone call to confirm it. This number is your fallback when no trusted device is at hand.
Add a second trusted number
On the same page, tap Edit next to Trusted Phone Number and add the number of a partner or family member. It rescues you if your own phone is lost.
Good to know
When you sign in somewhere new, a six-digit code appears automatically on your trusted devices. Type it on the new device.
No code arrived? On a trusted iPhone, open Settings, your name, Sign-In & Security and tap Get Verification Code.
Never tell anyone a verification code. Apple does not call or write to ask for it.
If the account was created with two-factor authentication, it cannot be removed. If you only just turned it on, Apple allows about two weeks to go back.
In short: Settings, your name, Sign-In & Security, Two-Factor Authentication, add trusted numbers.
- Apple Support: Two-factor authentication for Apple Account
Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.