Two-factor authentication applications like Google Authenticator and Authy are great apps. They keep your account secured, and your device clutter-less, with codes for multiple applications and accounts available in one spot.
SMS and email two-factor authentication are a less secure way of authentication, but one that is still widely used. X (Twitter), for example, recently got rid of SMS two-factor authentication for non-paying users. On the other hand, several platforms still offer the inferior authentication methods, and apart from the security aspect, these messages and emails clutter users’ inboxes.
With iOS 17, Apple is introducing a new feature that would automatically delete said two-factor messages and emails once they’ve been used, and the feature is available to use now.
Since iOS 17’s stable build is not out yet (it will roll out sometime in September), those who want to start using the auto clean-up feature must be running either the iOS 17 Public Beta or the iOS 17 Developer Beta. You can learn how to install iOS 17 Public Beta here.
Once installed, using the new feature is actually super simple. You just enable the toggle, and it does the work for you.
- Head to ‘Settings,’ scroll down and tap on ‘Passwords.’
- Tap on ‘Password Options.’
- Toggle on the ‘Clean Up Automatically’ toggle. The toggle description reads “Automatically delete verification codes in Messages and Mail after inserting with AutoFill.”
If you decide to update to iOS 17 Developer or Public Beta, you might also want to check out NameDrop and how to use it.
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