App Passwords: Why You Need Them & How to Set Them Up

 

Your Guide to App Passwords:

Why You Need Them & How to Set Them Up

Have you ever tried to connect an older email app, a smart home device, or a scanner to your main account, only to be hit with a stubborn "authentication failed" error; even though you know you typed your password correctly?

The culprit is likely your account's modern security settings. As Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) becomes the standard for protecting our online lives, many third-party apps and older devices simply don't know how to handle that second step. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) makes users 99% less likely to be hacked. However, it can break compatibility with older software.

Enter the App Password: a specialized, secure bridge that lets these devices connect without compromising your main account's security.

Apple ID; Can't Sign-In On Older Devices

Have you ever gotten an older Apple device (iPad, iPod, etc) and when you tried to set it up, and try to log in with your Apple ID information, you get an error message along the lines of; "This Apple ID cannot be used on this device. This Apple ID can only be used with devices running iOS version 15 or newer."

Turns out your Apple ID account has a "Recovery contact" setup/associated with your account just in case you ever get locked out. Well, that feature is unfortunately a modern iOS feature, and if enabled you will get the previous error when you try to sign in to an old Apple device with that associated Apple ID!

So what is the fix?

Remove the recovery contact(s) from your account! That's it!
Once you do that, you will then be able to login to older Apple devices using your Apple ID information.

Pacific NW Computers

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