Some souls have this irrational fear that their password verification message or email for Apple account login might never come. Actually, it’s a rational concern. What if you are in a place with no network and find yourself locked out of your Apple ID? What if you’re James Bond and some hacker intercepts the code? Thankfully, there’s now a solution – physical security keys.
With the release of iOS 16.3 last night, Apple now lets you set a physical security key to verify an Apple ID log-in. Instead of waiting for a code after entering your Apple ID and password, you just have to plug the USB-like drive into your iPhone’s Lightning port and your identity will be verified.
Hardware security keys are considered extremely safe since they are always with you and no one can access your Apple account without plugging them into your iPhone. Apple recommends FIDO-certified security keys like those made by Yubico. NFC-based wireless security keys are also available these days.
You can read more about the process of using a physical security key on your iPhone here.