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Your Apple ID is perhaps one of the most important parts of your Apple device experience. It's what grants you access to your account. If you forget the password, you'll need to find at least one device that's still logged in to reset it or use the Apple Support app or the web to get back in again. As important as knowing your Apple ID and password is keeping it secure so on one can gain access to it. If someone gets hold of this information, they can wreak havoc by getting into your personal accounts, viewing your personal files, and even potentially stealing your identity.

There are ways you can protect your Apple ID from theft and guidance you should follow to protect it. The most obvious one, which pertains to any online account, is to choose a strong password that contains a random string of eight or more characters with both upper and lowercase letters, at least one number, and a special character. You'll want to change it every few months as well. But the rules go far beyond that one.

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Two-factor authentication (2FA) involves two means of security to login, including both your password and a secondary method. It's a security setting you should enable right now. This can include a six-digit code sent to a trusted device, like your iPhone, that must be entered in order to log in. Including 2FA with your Apple devices ensures that even if someone manages to get access to your main password, they still won't be able to access your account.

The option to set up 2FA is presented when you first create your Apple account, which also allows you to choose a trusted number for confirmation. You can also use trusted devices like your iPad, for example, or your MacBook. If you did not set it up in the beginning, you can still go to Settings, Sign-In & Security, Two-Factor Authentication, and add a trusted phone number. Enter the six-digit code sent to the trusted number and you're all set. This adds an important, extra layer of security to ensure your account can't be signed into using other devices without your authorization and confirmation.

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Being able to use your Apple ID to instantly sign into websites is convenient. You'll usually see the "Sign in with Apple ID" button and it's tempting to do so. You can sign into a site or app quickly and easily without having to fill out a form. But using Sign in with Apple can improve privacy and security because it lets you avoid creating and managing additional passwords, and it can hide your email address from apps and websites if you choose. App-specific passwords serve another purpose. They are intended for certain third-party apps that need access to Apple services but can't use standard Apple authentication. You can create one by signing into your Apple Account in a web browser, going to Sign-In & Security, selecting App-Specific Passwords, and choosing Generate an app-specific password.

You still have the advantage of not setting up an entirely new account and filling out forms. It's just that along with signing in with your Apple ID on your phone, you add a secondary password for extra security on the apps. Without doing so, if a thief accessed your main Apple ID and the password is the same one used across the apps, they could easily log into anything. With this method, they can't since the password is different everywhere. Note that each time you sign in to a third-party site with your Apple ID, Apple shares a different, unique alphanumeric string in place of your e-mail address to keep things private. But it's still a good idea to add this further protection.

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It seems obvious, but you should never share your Apple ID and password with anyone. If you receive e-mails that appear to come from Apple or any source requesting your Apple ID, do not disclose it. There are signs an e-mail is a scam, but some of them are very convincing. You can always contact Apple Support to verify requests, but there's no reason Apple or anyone should request your ID via phone call or e-mail. A good emergency feature to enable on your iPhone is to set up a Legacy Contact, a trusted person who would only be able to access your account in the event of your death. But even then, they don't need your password. Once you add them, they receive a special access key that they can then provide to Apple with your death certificate if necessary.

Your Apple ID is your window into all your Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and more. It's important to safely protect it with a secure and unique password and never share this password with anyone. But you should also take extra security measures to ensure this important piece of information that unlocks everything you have on Apple devices never gets into the wrong hands.