apple: Apple to make OTPs ‘safer’ for iPhone users, here’s how – Times of India

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a very common method used to give an extra layer of security for any digital transactions or even logging into accounts. While it is considered safe, Apple has taken a step to make two-factor authentication even more secure. According to a report by Macworld, Apple is asking companies to change the format in which they send SMS codes to iPhone users.
iPhones — or for that matter Android devices — have an autofill feature that automatically puts the OTP or verification code. What Apple is doing is that it will give the option of autofill only if the verification code and the domain from where it is sent match. For instance, you get an OTP from www.amazon.com but the OTP comes from amazon.securelogin.com then you will not get the option to autofill the OTP or verification code.
This new format was rolled out last year but it is now that some users are seeing it. The new format, as per the report, looks like this:
“Your Apple ID Code is 123456. Don’t share it with anyone. @apple.com #123456 % apple.com”
What this does is that it ensures that any phishing attack that could take place through SMS — particularly verification codes and OTPs — is thwarted as it will verify the domain to check if it’s authentic or not.
It’s not clear if the feature has been rolled out for all users or whether it will come to all sites and apps that use 2FA for security measure. We tried with a couple of apps and sites but the new format didn’t appear for us. Perhaps it will be a part of iOS 15.4, the next big update Apple is expected to roll out to all iPhone users. Nevertheless, it is a method that will make using OTPs and verification codes safer for iPhone users.