Apple to remove Recovery Key from iOS 9, OS X 10.11 two-factor authentication process

Apple on Wednesday confirmed that the removal of a pesky Recovery Key security mechanism will be one of the changes coming to its two-factor authentication solution when iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 El Capitan are released this fall.

Currently, the Recovery Key system in Apple’s “two-step” protocol works as a failsafe for accessing an Apple ID when registered trusted device or phone number is unavailable. Under the existing setup, losing both a trusted device and Recovery Key renders the account inaccessible, which has in the past forced some users to abandon their Apple IDs altogether.