New Apple ID Sign-In Options: Phone Number on File or Trusted Device - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

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

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.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma

Popular Stories

iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Get Two New Perks on iOS 27

Thursday July 2, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
If you pay for certain iCloud+ storage plans beyond the 5GB that Apple offers for free, you will receive two more perks on iOS 27 at no additional cost. A summary of the two new iCloud+ perks on iOS 27:Increased daily usage limits for some new Apple Intelligence features, including image generation in the revamped Image Playground app. HomeKit Secure Video cameras receive generated video...
American Express Gold Apple Pay Feature

American Express Announces New Apple Pay Feature

Tuesday June 30, 2026 10:27 am PDT by
American Express today announced that you can now redeem Membership Rewards points when checking out with Apple Pay on the web and in apps on the iPhone and iPad. When checking out with Apple Pay on iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later, tap on your eligible American Express card (Platinum, Gold, Green, and others) and select the Membership Rewards points option. You can use points to cover all or...
series 10 apple watch titanium digital crown

Report: Apple Watch Redesign Coming Next Year With New Band System

Tuesday June 30, 2026 8:45 am PDT by
A "major overhaul" of the Apple Watch's design is due to arrive next year with a new system for connecting bands, according to a known Weibo leaker. In a set of recent posts, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" linked the new claim to older rumors about an "Apple Watch X" model, which was said to introduce a fresh design and break compatibility with the existing watch band system. Citing...

Top Rated Comments

37 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)
37 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
37 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)
37 months ago
I thought they would push for passkey over phone number of all things.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Natas1000 Avatar
37 months ago
Can we merge icloud accounts yet?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
37 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)