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New Apple ID Sign-In Options: Phone Number on File or Trusted Device

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The upcoming iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma updates for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac include a couple of new sign-in methods for an Apple ID account.

iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ID Feature 3
First, it is now possible to sign into an Apple ID with any phone number or secondary email address on file with the account. We were able to sign into an Apple ID with a phone number on the Apple ID website using a Mac running macOS Ventura, so it's unclear if this feature specifically requires the new software updates or is simply a backend change.

Second, starting with an iOS 17 update coming later this year, there will be a new Apple ID proximity sign-in feature. This will allow you to bring an existing signed-in and trusted iPhone or iPad into proximity with a new device being set up, pair the devices by scanning an on-screen "particle cloud," and complete sign-in automatically.

iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma also added passkey support to Apple IDs.

Apple announced that iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 will be released on Monday, September 18, while macOS Sonoma launches Tuesday, September 26.

Tag: Apple ID Guide
Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma

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Top Rated Comments

M
MallardDuck
35 months ago
Oh this is going to end well.

SIM hijacking.
Reused numbers that were never released by the previous owner.

Phone number, like SSN, is NOT a valid identifier.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
K
killawat
35 months ago
Really don't like this one. Apple why get us killer auth with Yubikey and then make our accounts easier to compromise with phone number?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fwmireault Avatar
fwmireault
35 months ago
I think some people are confused by the wording here. This is not SMS 2FA, nor is that a replacement to Yubikey or the classical Apple OTP authentification with a code sent to known Apple devices. It’s not even a replacement to passkey. This only means that you can enter your phone number as the ID. You still need to provide a password and to do the same 2steps authentification as usual.

Many Apple IDs are not a very private information anyway as it is often the primary email address of an user, so providing more possible "username" options is not making it less secure
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B
Brad7
35 months ago
I thought they would push for passkey over phone number of all things.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Natas1000 Avatar
Natas1000
35 months ago
Can we merge icloud accounts yet?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B
BenGoren
35 months ago
It’s the fundamental dilemma of security. You want to make it invisible to legitimate people but impenetrable to others.

I can easily imagine being grateful for being able to sign in with a device. I can also easily imagine somebody getting hacked as a result.

There isn’t a good answer. For example … you might think that it would be a good idea for Apple to offer an option to enable or disable this. But there will still be cases where the option is in the worng state — somebody regrets enabling it, somebody else regrets disabling it.

Ultimately … life is imperfect.

b&
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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