Two-factor auth with multiple Apple IDs

I see this FAQ in the Apple two-factor auth documentation:


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Will I need a trusted device dedicated to my Apple Developer account if I enable two-factor authentication?

No. You’ll need to use a trusted device to enable two-factor authentication for the first time. However, you can use the same trusted device for multiple Apple IDs that are enabled for two-factor authentication. Additionally, if you do not have access to your trusted device, you can get your verification code via SMS or phone call. When possible, you should use a trusted device to increase security and streamline the process.

[Emphasis mine.]

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As far as I can tell, this is simply not true. One must have a dedicated device because only one Apple ID can be logged into at any given moment and if one adds a second iCloud account, there is no way to adjust its security settings, as it's not the primary iCloud account on the device. So one must log out of the primary account and log in with the second account, but when I did so, I got the error: "Two-factor authentication is not available for your Apple ID at this time."


There is another FAQ that states:

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What if I’ve enabled two-step verification?

If your Apple ID has two-step verification enabled and two-factor authentication is available in your country or region, you will need to update to two-factor authentication for increased security.

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This pretty much rules out two-step verification as an alternative.


So far this has been a comedy of errors for me. I haven't found a clear discussion in the forums from others who may have this situation and what they've done to work around it. I'm currently unable to enable two-factor authentication for my developer account (and thus can't access my account dashboard), due to this limitation.


I would appreciate any help from anyone who has attempted to use multiple Apple IDs. Thanks!

Just to be clear, two-factor authentication is not a developer technology — the developer web site is one of its many clients — and, as such, is supported by Apple Support, not WWDR. Having said that, I can share my personal experience…

As you might imagine, I have a lot of Apple IDs, and I want two-factor authentication enable on most (but not all!) of them. I set this up as follows:

  1. For each Apple ID, I create a new account on my Mac (System Preferences > Users & Groups).

  2. I log in as that user and set up my Apple ID, using this account on my Mac as my initial second factor.

  3. I then configure my mobile phone number as an additional second factor for that account.

  4. I then log out of my secondary account and log back in to my main account.

If I need to authenticate my main Apple ID, I receive the two-factor prompts as per normal. If I need to authenticate as one of my secondary Apple IDs, I request that the verification code be sent by SMS and then collect it on my phone.

Share and Enjoy

Quinn “The Eskimo!”
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

Could you please help us with this topic?

https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/126314

Could you please help us with this topic?

Not really. Issues related to the developer programs are the purview of Apple Developer Program Support, and I work for Developer Technical Support.

Share and Enjoy

Quinn “The Eskimo!”
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

Brilliant! Thanks so much for this. I'll give it a go!

Two-factor auth with multiple Apple IDs
 
 
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