How to use new iOS 15 Password Authenticator on iPhone

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Apple released iOS 15 with a lot of Quality-of-Life improvements and new features. Some of these features are not that huge and Apple did not speak about them in the WWDC 2021 Keynote. One such feature is the built-in Password Authenticator in iOS 15. In this article, we will show you how to use new iOS 15 password authenticator on iPhone. Keep reading for more details.

Considering the fact that it is critical to have an extra layer of safety against hacking these days, most websites and apps support two-factor authentication. This type of authentication requires an additional one-time code after entering the correct password to complete the login process. What makes Two-Factor-Authentication so essential is the ability to protect your account even if your passwords are leaked. This provides an additional layer of security for keeping your account safe.

Until now, we had to use third-party authentication apps like Google Authenticator. But this has changed with the release of iOS 15, Apple has introduced a built-in password authenticator to make it easier and secure for users to log into their accounts, you can now set up and use this new two-factor authenticator. Hereโ€™s how to use the built-in password authenticator in iOS 15 on iPhone and iPad:

How to enable new Password Authenticator on iOS 15

To use the new Password Authenticator, you will first need to set-up a verification code for the app. Follow along:

  1. Launch the Settings App on your iPhone or iPad running iOS 15.
  2. Scroll down until you see Passwords.
    How to use Apple built-in Password Authenticator on iOS 15
  3. Tap on Passwords.
  4. Authenticate yourself with Face ID or Touch ID, or you can even authenticate yourself by entering your passcode.
  5. Here you will see a list of websites you have an account on, and the passwords to your respective accounts. All this is saved in the iCloud Keychain.
    How to use Apple built-in Password Authenticator on iOS 15
  6. Make sure that the website you want to set up the two-factor code for, is available here.
    • If it’s not available, tap on the “+” icon at the top-right corner of the screen.
    • Enter the URL of the website, your username, and your password for that website.
    • Tap on done at the top-right to finish.
  7. Tap on the name of the app or website for which you want to use the built-in password authenticator on your iPhone or iPad.
    How to use Apple built-in Password Authenticator on iOS 15
  8. Tap on the โ€œSet Up Verification Codeโ€ฆโ€ option.
  9. There are two ways to set up the verification using this option on your iPhone or iPad:
    How to use Apple built-in Password Authenticator on iOS 15
    1. Enter Setup key: If the website supports using a verification code, head over to the website to get the setup key and either it here.
    2. Scan QR Code: If the website provides a QR code, you can long-press the QR code and select Set Up Verification Code to get it done automatically.

How does Apple’s built-in Password Authenticator work?

Appleโ€™s Password Authenticator lets you set up the verification code required for signing-in, by using the setup key or by scanning the QR code. Once the setup process is complete, the password authenticator generates a new 6-digit verification code every 30 seconds, which you can use to authenticate your password. Easy, isn’t it?

You can copy and paste the verification code manually or even let Apple fill the code for you automatically when you log into a website or an application. This eliminates the need to switch between apps to get the two factor authentication code on your iPhone and iPad. Therefore, you can set it up for all of your apps. This goes a long way in securing your data and personal information.

How to set-up Verification Code on iPhone or iPad with new Password Authenticator:

We will use the most popular social media application Facebook to show you how this is done. This process is similar for other apps as well, read along to see how it’s done:

  1. Launch the Facebook App on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap on the Three Horizontal Lines icon in the bottom navigation bar.
  3. Scroll down till you see Settings & Privacy.
    How to use Apple built-in Password Authenticator on iOS 15
  4. Tap on Settings and Privacy > Settings.
    How to use Apple built-in Password Authenticator on iOS 15
  5. Then tap on Password and Security.
  6. Tap on “Use Two-Factor Authentication“.
    How to use Apple built-in Password Authenticator on iOS 15
  7. Make sure the “Authentication App” option is selected. Tap on Continue.
    How to use Apple built-in Password Authenticator on iOS 15
  8. Now, you have three different options to choose from while setting up the 2FA verification codes:
    1. Set-up on the same device: Choose this option to set up the verification code for Facebook using the built-in password authenticator on your iPhone or iPad.
    2. Scan QR Code: If you have opened Facebook in Safari, long-press the QR code and tap on the Open in โ€œSettingsโ€ option.
    3. Copy the Code: You also have the option to copy a unique code and enter it in the Settings.
  9. All these three options for password authentication are easy and reliable. For this guide, we will use the “Copy the Code” option. So, we will now long-press on the code to copy the code from the Facebook app.
  10. Once you have the code copied, launch the Settings app.
  11. Tap on Passwords.
  12. Tap on Facebook > Setup Verification Code > “Enter Setup Key“.
  13. Paste the key you copied in Step 10, then hit OK button.
  14. Now, the built-in password authenticator on your iPhone or iPad will automatically generate a 6-digit verification code.
  15. You can then copy and paste this code in Facebook to authenticate your login or let Apple autofill the code for you.

Note: This 6-Digit code has a 30 second validity. It will refresh after every 30 seconds.

Thatโ€™s it. Now, whenever you are asked to authenticate your password, you can use iOS 15’s new password authenticator and quickly login to your account.

How to delete the Password Authenticator setting:

If the password authenticator on iPhone and iPad running the latest iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 builds is not really useful for you, you may want to remove the verification code settings for an app in the future. You can follow these steps below to delete the two-factor authentication settings for an app in iOS 15:

  1. Launch the Settings app.
  2. Tap on Passwords.
  3. Authenticate yourself using Face ID / Touch ID.
  4. Then, tap on the appโ€™s name you want to delete the verification code for.
  5. Tap on โ€œEditโ€ at the top-right corner.
  6. Tap on the โ€œโ€ (minus) button under the verification code section.
  7. Tap on Delete.
  8. A pop-up message will appear, tap on the โ€œDelete Verification Codeโ€ option.

Once done. You are no longer using Appleโ€™s built-in password authenticator for verification codes for that particular app.

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In case you’ve any queries regarding the new iOS 15’s in-built password authenticator, drop a comment in the comment box. Also, don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family.

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AUTHOR.

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Shaikh Adil

Adil is a writer at ytechb. He started caring about technology after he got his first iPhone. He likes to help others by posting tips & tricks and providing solutions regarding iOS problems. When not at work, he enjoys playing football, watching movies, watching tech videos on YouTube, listening to music and podcasts and playing video games.

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