With the release of iOS 16.3, iPhone now supports hardware security chances, providing even better protection against phishing and unauthorized cell phone access. In case you’re not familiar, hardware security keys are physical devices that look like a thumb drive and connect to your iPhone and Mac via lightning, USB-C, or NFC. They are used to perform additional verification when enabling two-factor authentication for Apple IDs.
Physical keys are usually used like a key ring or a wallet and are used to authenticate the login on a cell phone or laptop. With this, it is possible to further increase the protection against account hijacking. When using a hardware key, even if a hacker obtains your Apple ID data and one-time passwords sent via SMS when activating 2FA, there will be no way to access user accounts.
How to Set Up a Security Key on iPhone
To start using a physical security key on iOS (iPhone), Apple has as a prerequisite to have two hardware keys, so that one stays with the user and another reserve, kept at home or in the office. Activate the feature following the step by step below.
Step 01: Open the Settings app
Step 02: Select your name and tap “Password & security”
Step 03: Select “Add Chance of Safety”.
The cell phone will ask for two security keys. After the first security key is selected, the user must bind the second one. Once that’s done, you’ll be asked to review the list of devices your Apple ID is currently connected to so you can disconnect any of them if you want.
