Apple Account

Your Apple Account is the account you use to access Apple services like the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, iMessage, and FaceTime. It includes the email address and password you use to sign in, as well as the contact, payment, and security details you use across Apple services.

Apple employs industry-standard practices to safeguard your Apple Account. But there’s plenty you can do, too, from using two-factor authentication to adding Account Recovery Contacts and Legacy Contacts.

Here’s how to keep your Apple Account secure on iPhone.

Best practices for maximizing the security of your Apple Account

• Don’t let others use your Apple Account, even family members.

  To share purchases, subscriptions, a family calendar, and more without sharing Apple Accounts, set up Family Sharing.

• Use two-factor authentication. If you created your Apple Account on a device with iOS 13.4, iPadOS 13.4, macOS 10.15.4, or later, your account automatically uses two-factor authentication. If you previously created an Apple Account without two-factor authentication, turn on two-factor authentication now.
• Never provide your password, security questions, verification codes, recovery key, or any other account security details to anyone else. Apple will never ask you for this information.
• When accessing your Apple Account page in Safari or another web browser, look for the Lock icon in the address field to verify that your session is encrypted and secure.
• When using a public computer, always sign out when your session is complete to prevent other people from accessing your account.
• Avoid phishing scams. Don’t click links in suspicious email or text messages, and never provide personal information on any website you aren’t certain is legitimate.
• Don’t use your password with other online accounts.
• To help protect your information in case your iPhone is stolen, turn on Stolen Device Protection. Stolen Device Protection adds a layer of security when your iPhone is away from familiar locations, such as home or work.
• If one of your devices is lost or stolen, turn on Lost Mode as soon as possible for that device. (You can do this on a friend’s device and don’t need to use your own.)

Add Account Recovery Contacts

Choose one or more people you trust as Account Recovery Contacts, and they can help you regain access to your account and reset your Apple Account password if you forget your password or get locked out.

Go to Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security > Recovery Contacts, tap Add Recovery Contact, then follow the onscreen instructions.

For more information, go to Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security, then tap “Learn more” below Add Recovery Contact.

Add Legacy Contacts

With the Digital Legacy program, you can designate people as Legacy Contacts who can access your Apple Account in the event of your death.

Go to Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security > Legacy Contact, tap Add Legacy Contact, then follow the onscreen instructions.

Generate a recovery key for your account

You can generate a recovery key for additional control over your account security. It can help you regain access to your Apple Account or reset your account password. A recovery key is a randomly generated 28-character code, and you should keep it in a safe place. To reset your account password, you can either enter your recovery key or use another device that’s already signed in to your Apple Account.

To ensure you have access to your account, you are personally responsible for maintaining access to the recovery key and your trusted devices.

Your Apple Account gives you access to Apple services such as the App Store, the Apple Games app, the iTunes Store, Apple Books, Apple Music, FaceTime, iCloud, iMessage, and more. When you create a new Apple Account in China mainland or India, you can use your mobile phone number as your Apple Account user name.

You can also change your Apple Account settings, and add or update the payment method associated with it.

Sign in to your Apple Account

If you didn’t sign in during setup, do the following:

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apple Account.
3. Tap one of the following:
   • Use Another Apple Device: Bring your other iPhone or iPad (with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, or later) nearby and then follow the onscreen instructions.
   • Sign in Manually: Enter your email address or phone number, then enter your password. If you don’t have an Apple Account, you can create one.
4. If you protect your account with two-factor authentication, enter the six-digit verification code.

Change your Apple Account settings

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap your name, then do any of the following:
   • Update Personal Information: Update your name, birthdate, and Memoji or photo associated with your Apple Account. You can also set up your preferences for communication from Apple, and see how your data is managed.
   • Change Sign-In & Security: Change your Apple Account password, turn on two-factor authentication, add or remove phone numbers and emails you can use to sign in, and set up Account Recovery or Legacy Contact.
   • Manage Payment & Shipping: Select your payment methods and shipping address for your Apple Account and purchases from the Apple Store.
   • View and manage your subscriptions: View and manage your subscriptions from Apple and subscriptions that you purchased in apps from the App Store.
   • Use iCloud.
   • Set up Family Sharing.
   • Use Find My.
   • Manage Media & Purchases: Manage the accounts linked to Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple TV, and Apple Books and select purchasing settings.
   • Use Sign in with Apple.

Add or update the payment method associated with your Apple Account

Apple media purchases and services use the payment information associated with your Apple Account.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap [your name], then tap Payment & Shipping. You may need to authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID.
3. Tap Add Payment Method or tap an existing payment method.

With Sign in with Apple, you can sign in to participating websites and apps with your Apple Account on iPhone. You don’t need to create and remember new passwords, and your account is protected with two-factor authentication. You can share your Sign in with Apple access with family and trusted contacts.

It’s designed to respect your privacy, too. Websites and apps can ask only for your name and email address to set up your account, and Apple won’t track you as you use them at all. Sign in with Apple requires two-factor authentication for your Apple Account, which protects your Apple Account, your app accounts, and your app content.

Set up or upgrade an account to Sign in with Apple

When a participating website or app asks you to set up or upgrade an account, do the following:

1. Tap Sign in with Apple.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions.

Some websites and apps don’t request your name and email address. In this case, you simply authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID (depending on your model), then start using the app. Others may ask for your name and email address to set up a personalized account. When an app asks for this information, Sign in with Apple displays your name and the personal email address from your Apple Account for you to review. To edit your name, tap it, then use the keyboard to make changes. To specify an email address, do one of the following:

• Use your personal email address: Tap Share My Email. If you have multiple email addresses associated with your Apple Account, choose the address you want.
• Hide your email address: Tap Hide My Email. This option allows you to receive email from the app without sharing your personal email address. When you choose this option, Apple creates a unique, random email address for you, and any email sent from the app to this address is forwarded to your personal address.

After you review your information and choose an email option, tap Continue, authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID (depending on your model), then start using the app.

Sign in to access your account

After you set up an account with a website or app using Sign in with Apple, you typically don’t need to sign in to it again on your iPhone. But if you’re asked to sign in (for example, after you sign out of an account), do the following:

1. Tap Sign in with Apple.
2. Review the Apple Account that appears, then tap Continue.
3. Authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID (depending on your model).

Change the address used to forward email

If you hid your email address when you created an account and your Apple Account has more than one address associated with it, you can change which address receives your forwarded email.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap your name, tap Sign-In & Security, and tap Forward To.
3. Choose a different email address and then tap the Save button.

Review or change Sign in with Apple settings for apps

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap your name and tap Sign in with Apple.
3. To change a setting for an app, tap it and then do any of the following:
   • Turn off forwarding email: Tap Manage Hide My Email and tap the app. Then turn off Forward To. You won’t receive any further emails from the app.
   • Stop using Sign in with Apple: Tap Delete, then tap Stop Using. You may be asked to create a new account the next time you try to sign in to the app.

Share your Sign in with Apple access

1. Open the Passwords app on your iPhone.
2. Tap All, then locate and tap the account where you use Sign in with Apple.
3. Tap Group and then tap New Group.
4. Enter a name for the group, then tap Add People.
5. Type the name, email address, or phone number of the person or people you want to add and tap Add. Note: To add someone to your group, they must be in your Contacts app and have a device using iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 14, or later. If they can be added to the group, their contact information appears in blue. If it appears in gray, their iPhone, iPad, or Mac might not support shared password groups.
6. Tap the Create button.

Sign in with Apple also works on your other devices—iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, Apple TV 4K, and iPod touch—where you’re signed in to the same Apple Account. To sign in from an Android app, a Windows app, or any web browser, tap Sign in with Apple, then enter your Apple Account password.

Using two-factor authentication helps prevent others from accessing your Apple Account, even if they know your Apple Account password. When it’s on, you need both your Apple Account password and a six-digit verification code to sign in to your Apple Account.

The verification code is sent to the phone number associated with your Apple Account, or it’s displayed on your trusted devices. You can add another trusted device, add or remove a trusted phone number, and create a password for an app that signs in with your Apple Account.

Note: Certain account types might not support two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication isn’t available in all countries or regions.

Turn on two-factor authentication

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap your name and tap Sign-In & Security.
3. Tap Two-Factor Authentication.
4. Enter a trusted phone number (the number you’ll use to receive verification codes). Then tap Next. A verification code is sent to your trusted phone number.
5. Enter the verification code on your iPhone.

Two-factor authentication is turned on for your Apple Account, and your iPhone is now a trusted device.

Add another trusted device

Once two-factor authentication is on for your iPhone, you can add other trusted devices to the Apple Account.

1. On the device you want to add, sign in to the same Apple Account you used to turn on two-factor authentication.
2. When prompted, enter the six-digit verification code that appears on your iPhone, another trusted device, a trusted phone number, or your Mac.
3. Enter the verification code on the new device.

You’ll only be asked for a verification code again if you sign out completely, erase your device, need to change your Apple Account password for security reasons, or sign in to your Apple Account page in a web browser.

Add or remove a trusted phone number

Trusted phone numbers come in handy if you want to use two-factor authentication but can’t get to the phone number you added when you turned it on.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap your name and tap Sign-In & Security.
3. Tap Two-Factor Authentication.
4. Do one of the following:
   • Add a number: Tap Add a Trusted Phone Number and enter the phone number.
   • Remove a number: Tap the Delete button next to the phone number.
5. When you’re finished making changes, tap Done.

Trusted phone numbers don’t automatically receive verification codes. If you can’t access any trusted devices when setting up a new device for two-factor authentication, tap “Didn’t get a verification code?” on the new device, then choose one of your trusted phone numbers to receive the verification code.

View or remove trusted devices

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap your name. A list of the devices associated with your Apple Account appears near the bottom of the screen.
3. To remove a device, tap it, then tap Remove from Account.

Removing a trusted device means it can’t display verification codes anymore, and it’s blocked from iCloud (and other Apple services on the device). You can add it back by signing in to your Apple Account again with two-factor authentication.

Generate a password for an app that signs in to your Apple Account

A third-party app or service (like an email, contacts, or calendar app) needs an app-specific password before you can sign in to your Apple Account from it with two-factor authentication.

1. Sign in to your Apple Account.
2. Tap App-Specific Passwords, then tap Generate an app-specific password.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions.

After you generate your app-specific password, enter or paste it into the password field of the app as you would normally.