If you're switching to a different carrier, you may want to change the trusted phone number that's linked to your Apple ID. It comes in handy for two-factor authentication purposes and ensures you aren't completely locked out of your account.
You can add multiple trusted phone numbers to your account as well, provided you use more than one phone. Apple makes it easy to do right from your iPhone, iPad, and even your Mac. Here, we'll look at how you can update the trusted phone number in iOS and macOS.
What Is a Trusted Phone Number?
A trusted phone number is simply a phone number that Apple uses to verify your identity when you sign in to a new device with your Apple account. It acts as a second layer of security for Apple's two-factor authentication (2FA) system.
Typically, when you log in to your Apple ID account from a new device, you'll get the 2FA prompt on your trusted devices. But if that doesn't work, or you don't have access to your trusted device, you can request Apple to send a verification code to your trusted phone number as an SMS.
How to Add or Remove Trusted Phone Numbers on an iPhone and iPad
When you first enable 2FA on your Apple account, the phone number you use with your iPhone is automatically registered as a trusted number. However, you can follow these simple instructions to add, remove, or update a trusted phone number on your iOS or iPadOS devices:
- Go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
- In Settings, tap on your Apple ID name, located at the top.
- Next, select Password & Security from your Apple ID settings.
- Here, you'll see your current trusted number. Tap on Edit next to the trusted phone number.
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- Now, tap on Add a trusted phone number to get started.
- You'll need to enter your device passcode to authenticate the process.
- Next, select the country code and type in the number. You can either choose to verify your number using a text message or a phone call. When you're ready, tap on Send.
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At this point, all you need to do is enter the verification code you receive to register this new phone number as a trusted phone number. And when you finish, you should be set to use this alternate way to sign in to your Apple account with 2FA.
How to Add or Remove Trusted Phones Number on a Mac
If you're reading this on your Mac, you can also update your trusted phone number in macOS in a somewhat similar way. Assuming you have a 2FA-enabled Apple account, here's what you need to do:
- Head over to System Preferences on your Mac.
- Click on Apple ID in the upper-right corner of the window.
- This should display your Apple ID settings. Select Password & Security from the left pane.
- Here, you'll find the Trusted phone numbers section on the right. Click on Edit next to it.
- Now, you'll see your current phone number along with the option to add a new one. Tap on the plus (+) icon to get started.
- Next, you need to enter your Mac's user password before entering the new phone number and country code.
You'll get a verification code on your new phone number for confirmation, after which you can use it as a backup method to log in to your Apple account from new devices.
A Trusted Phone Number Helps You Log In Without a Trusted Device
Using a trusted phone number will be your only option when you don't have access to a trusted device, like your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Besides that, Apple's 2FA popups may glitch out sometimes and take a long time to show up. In such cases, a simple text message with the verification code would be a faster way to sign in to your Apple account.
And if you're someone who uses multiple phones, you can add multiple trusted numbers to make sure you're never locked out of your account.
