Earlier this month, Apple announced Advanced Data Protection for iCloud with end-to-end encryption for user data.

Furthermore, the company also revealed that it will soon offer support for physical security keys when using two-factor authentication with Apple ID. This option is already available for users of the beta version of iOS 16.3.

Starting in 2023, users will be able to better protect their ID and iCloud account using hardware security keys. This means that they will have a physical hardware device that they can configure to serve as a second layer of two-factor authentication for their account.

This Security Key system integrates with the device-to-device transfer process. So once you authenticate your iPhone with the Security Key, you won’t have to do it again if you get a new iPhone, as long as you use the device-to-device transfer process when setting up a new iPhone.

A few hours ago, Apple has released the first beta of iOS 16.3 for developers. And although all the news of the update are not yet known, we know that iOS 16.3 enables support for physical security keys for ID.

It is worth noting that Apple itself is not going to make a security key hardware. Instead, it will turn to third-party products. The company is working with the FIDO Alliance to ensure cross-platform compatibility with open standards.