Your Apple ID is perhaps one of the most important parts of your Apple device experience. This is what gives you access to your account. If you forget the password, you’ll need to find at least one device still connected to reset it or use the Apple Support app or the web to reconnect. Knowing your Apple ID and password is as important as keeping them secure so they can be accessed. If someone obtains this information, they can wreak havoc by accessing your personal accounts, viewing your personal files, and even potentially stealing your identity.
There are ways to protect your Apple ID from theft and tips to follow to keep it safe. The most obvious, which applies to any online account, is to choose a strong password containing a random string of eight or more characters with upper and lower case letters, at least one number and one special character. You’ll also want to change it every few months. But the rules go well beyond that.
Use two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) involves two means of security for logging in, including your password and a secondary method. This is a security setting that you should enable right now. This may include a six-digit code sent to a trusted device, like your iPhone, which must be entered to log in. Including 2FA with your Apple devices ensures that even if someone manages to access your master password, they still won’t be able to access your account.
The option to set up 2FA is presented when you first create your Apple account, which also allows you to choose a trusted number for confirmation. You can also use trusted devices like your iPad for example or your MacBook. If you haven’t set it up at first, you can still access Settings, login and security, two-factor authenticationthen add a reliable phone number. Enter the six-digit code sent to the trusted number and you’re ready to go. This adds an important extra layer of security to ensure that your account cannot be logged in using other devices without your authorization and confirmation.
Create application-specific passwords
Being able to use your Apple ID to instantly log into websites is convenient. You’ll usually see the “Sign in with Apple ID” button and it’s tempting to do so. You can log in to a site or app quickly and easily without having to fill out any forms. But using Sign in with Apple can improve privacy and security because it lets you avoid creating and managing additional passwords, and it can hide your email address from apps and websites if you want. Application-specific passwords serve another purpose. They are intended for certain third-party applications that need access to Apple services but cannot use standard Apple authentication. You can create one by signing into your Apple account in a web browser, going to Connection and security, selection of application-specific passwordsand choosing Generate an application-specific password.
You still have the advantage of not creating a whole new account and filling out any forms. It’s just that in addition to signing in with your Apple ID on your phone, you add a secondary password for added security on apps. Without it, if a thief accessed your primary Apple ID and the password is the same one used in all apps, they could easily log into anything. With this method, they cannot since the password is different everywhere. Note that every time you sign in to a third-party site with your Apple ID, Apple shares a different, unique alphanumeric string in place of your email address to keep things private. But it’s still a good idea to add that extra protection.
Never share your contact details
It seems obvious, but you should never share your Apple ID and password with anyone. If you receive emails appearing to be from Apple or any other source asking for your Apple ID, do not disclose it. There are signs that an email is a scam, but some of them are very convincing. You can always contact Apple Support to verify requests, but there is no reason for Apple or anyone else to ask for your ID over the phone or email. A good emergency feature to enable on your iPhone is to set up a legacy contact, a trusted person who will only be able to access your account in the event of your death. But even then, they don’t need your password. Once you add them, they receive a special access key that they can then provide to Apple along with your death certificate if necessary.
Your Apple ID is your window to all your Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, Apple TV and more. It is important to protect it securely with a secure and unique password and never share this password with anyone. But you also need to take extra security measures to ensure that this important information that unlocks everything you have on Apple devices never falls into the wrong hands.
