How Can I STOP Automatic Verification Codes From Showing Up On All My Devices At The Same Time?

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chattydoll Author

Level 1

8 points

How Can I STOP Automatic Verification Codes From Showing Up On All My Devices At The Same Time?

Hello, how can I STOP Automatic Verification codes from showing up on all my devices?

I have an iMac running Sequoia 15.7.3, an iPhone XR running 18.7.3 & an iPad Pro running 17.7.10 . . .

I would like my Verification Codes to show up ONLY on the device I am using at the time, not on ALL the devices . . .

that's how it used to work but somehow it has changed.

Can someone please help?

Thank you,

Kathy

iMac 24″, macOS 15.7

Posted on Dec 31, 2025 8:49 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

LotusPilot

Level 10

302,012 points

Jan 1, 2026 3:21 AM in response to chattydoll

Curious that you have not noticed this before - as, by design, authentication codes will usually appear on all devices that are signed-in with the same AppleID.

SMS authentication codes, being delivered by Cellular SMS messages, will be delivered to your iPhone. If you have enabled Message Forwarding on your iPhone, SMS messages will be forwarded to the Messages App of your other Apple devices. Message Forwarding is controlled from iPhone settings:

Settings > Apps > Messages > Text Message Forwarding - enable or disable each of your Apple devices as required

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Answer 2

chattydoll Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 3, 2026 1:42 AM in response to LotusPilot

Thank you, LotusPilot.

I do want other Messages to appear on all my devices, so I guess I'm stuck having the Verification Codes appear on all as well . . .

my reason for not wanting this to happen with the Verification Codes is that if someone is using my computer & I have 2-step verification set up, it defeats the security purpose if the code appears right on the computer, as opposed to only on my iPhone, which would be in my possession . . .

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Answer 3

LotusPilot

Level 10

302,012 points

Jan 3, 2026 3:44 AM in response to chattydoll

Clearly, you shouldn't be sharing your Apple Account (AppleID) with anyone.

Outside of Educational and Business/Enterprise environments where multiple user accounts are supported, iPad and iPhone are effectively single-user devices. If iPad and iPhone are not being shared with other users, your verification codes shouldn't be accessible to others. For Mac, you can use separate user accounts for each user.

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Answer 4

chattydoll Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 3, 2026 9:27 AM in response to LotusPilot

Thanks anyway, but I think maybe you don’t quite understand my question as I’ve tried to explain . . .

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Answer 5

shoeluvr13

Level 6

18,535 points

Jan 3, 2026 11:13 AM in response to chattydoll

The two factor authentication code will be useless to them because they have nowhere to enter it since they didn’t initiate the login.

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