Apple simply added assist for safety keys to safe your Apple ID with its newest iOS and macOS updates, however to really arrange your keys together with your account, you’ll must have at the least two safety keys readily available, in keeping with an Apple support document (via MacRumors).
Whereas that may sound like a little bit of an inconvenience, the requirement implies that you’ll have a backup within the occasion that you just lose your major key and received’t be locked out of your account. It’s not a wholly sudden ask; Google recommends utilizing two safety keys with its Advanced Protection Program for Google accounts, although the corporate solely requires that you’ve one safety key to enroll. Apple will allow you to enroll as much as six keys to your account.
You’ll be able to add safety keys to your account on an iPhone on iOS 16.3 or later, an iPad on iPadOS 16.3 or later, or a Mac on macOS Ventura 13.2. (These updates have been launched on Monday.) You’ll additionally should have two-factor authentication in your Apple ID and be utilizing a “trendy net browser.” In keeping with the assist doc, you received’t have the ability to use safety keys with youngster accounts or managed Apple IDs, and also you received’t have the ability to use them to sign up to iCloud for Home windows.
Apple requires that the keys are FIDO licensed, and if you wish to choose up some keys to make use of together with your Apple ID, the corporate has a couple of suggestions. One is the YubiKey 5C NFC, which plugs into USB-C ports however can work with iPhones, all of which at present use Lightning ports because of NFC. (Good factor the iPhone will probably be shifting to USB-C.) One other is the YubiKey 5Ci, which solves that pesky Lightning drawback by having connectors for each Lightning and USB-C, although I’m not a fan of the important thing’s two-prong design. Apple additionally recommends the Feitian ePass K9 NFC USB-A, which may plug into older Macs with USB-A ports and connect with iPhones through NFC.