Tips to keep your Apple ID secure

If you’re worried about keeping your Apple ID secure then we’ve compiled a list of quick, easy and useful tips that you can do to keep your account safe. 

Keep reading to see our tips on how to keep your Apple ID secure.

Enable two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication is designed to ensure that you’re the only person who can access your Apple ID, even if someone else does have your password. When you try to log into your Apple ID on a new device, it will ask you for the six-digit verification code that is displayed on your trusted device. 

Turning on two-factor authentication is easy and only requires a phone number. To set this up, simply visit Sign-In & Security in your Apple device’s Settings. Select Two-Factor Authentication and add your trusted phone number.

Use a recovery key

Another way to protect your account is to set up a recovery key. A recovery key is an optional security feature which lets you reset your password and regain access to a lost Apple ID. 

Your recovery key, which is a randomly generated 28-character code, can be generated easily with your iPhone, iPad or Mac. After you generate your personal recovery code, you should keep a note of this so you don’t lose it. 

To set up a recovery key, visit the Sign-in and Security page on your device’s Settings and choose Account Recovery. From here, click Turn on Recovery Key and follow the on-screen instructions to set this up. Remember to make a note of your recovery key once it has been assigned.

Note that when you set up a recovery key you will automatically turn off Apple’s standard account recovery process. This means if you ever lose access to your Apple ID then either your recovery key or trusted device must be used to get you back in. If you lose either your recovery key or a trusted device then you’ll be locked out of your account permanently.

Manage any sites and apps signed in with Apple

Many websites or apps that require you to create an account have the option to simply log in with Apple or other social media networks. This is a nifty feature which is time-saving especially when you’re in a rush but it can be easy to lose track of all the various third party sites that now have access to your Apple ID data.

You can easily check the apps that you’ve used your Apple ID to log into. To do this, open up your Settings app and tap Sign-in and Security when clicking on your Apple ID. Then simply click on Sign in with Apple and here you’ll see all the apps listed. To remove any apps, just click on them and choose Stop using Apple ID.

While we would never recommend sharing your password with anyone, Apple does have an option to add a recovery contact. A recovery contact is someone who can verify your identity and can generate a code from their Apple device to help you recover your data. 

To do this, your recovery contact will need to have an Apple device either running on iOS/iPadOS 15 or later or on macOS Monterey or later. Enter the Sign-In & Security page on your Apple ID and select Account Recovery. Then Add Recovery Contact.

We would also recommend you never share an account with anyone else, especially as Apple has other ways to share content, such as Family Sharing and iCloud Photo Sharing.

Change your password

It’s not exactly groundbreaking but changing your password is the quickest and easiest way to help keep your Apple ID secure. In fact we’d say it’s good practice to update all your passwords on a regular basis and never use the same password for different websites.