Apple iOS 13.3’s Epic New Security Feature: An Essential Guide

Apple iOS 13 comes with a number of cool security and privacy features, including the ability to better control apps such as Google and Facebook. But iOS 13.3 has upped the stakes even further by adding the ability to use security keys such as Yubico’s YubiKey in Apple’s Safari browser.

When iOS 13.3 dropped last week, I wrote about the basic considerations that need to be taken into account when using security keys. The best option for now is the YubiKey, which is the first featuring USB-C and lightning connectors on a single key. Also worth noting is that YubiKey maker Yubico now makes an authenticator app to use if a service doesn’t offer built in support for security keys. 

Apple iOS 13.3: Using a security key now 

The ability to use security keys in Safari is an exciting development, so how do you get started?

Once you have your key, in the case of YubiKey, there are some instructional videos and guides on how to set up authentication across sites. I’ll use the example of Twitter to get you started.

First, log into Twitter via the Apple Safari browser on your iPhone. You might have Face ID set up to authenticate you as an extra secure layer. Once you’ve logged in, go to the security section in your settings and toggle on the switch to indicate that you want to use a security key.

After you have done this, you will be asked to put your key into the device. You will be asked to press the key to indicate it’s you. Now you are ready to use it as a layer of authentication to log into Twitter.

Once this is set up, it’s easy to log into other services on your iPhone’s Safari browser using your security key. The video below shows how I used the YubiKey to log into my Twitter account. 

Why use a security key with your iPhone?

Big sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Google will always be at risk of getting hacked, and people often use weak passwords or repeat their credentials across a number of services. 

This is why extra methods of authentication beyond passwords are so important. Biometrics are partly resolving the issue but security keys provide something robust–a physical padlock of sorts that you have in your possession.

They also help to protect you against phishing, where attackers will try to steal your credentials by encouraging you to enter them on a fake log in page. 

Securing your iPhone using iOS 13

Apple’s iOS 13 offers great improvements in security–although it is also important to note that the operating system update has come under fire recently for not applying the same controls to Apple’s own apps. With this in mind, I created a guide to securing all your apps in iOS 13, including Apple’s. Along with using biometrics such as Face ID, security keys are a great addition.