Sir, I don’t care for your tone.
You present some interesting solutions. None of them work for me. Your suggestions of carrying a separate phone or setting up a landline for the sole purpose of setting up security is laughable. Effective, as described perhaps, but not convenient, to say the least, and expensive.
And for the record: I never asked for 2FA, it was forced upon me. I do keep all my credit cards in one wallet. I do have all my money in one account and all my phone number where kept in a single Rolodex when that was a thing - though I am familiar with the concept of putting all one’s eggs in a single basket. Though I did try it once, having a different wallet for each credit card just didn’t work out. Perhaps that’s something I need to practice for this adulting you mention.
You can call Apple to get access - it just takes several weeks.
The thing that gets me about all of this is, typical of engineer thinking, is that you’re sold on this as an acceptable solution to a difficult problem. Just because something works, doesn’t mean that it’s the best way to do it or even acceptable. (When was the last time you had to double clutch?) In 10 years do you think this will be how security works? This system is a Norman Door and it sucks.
The thing is, products and services that aren’t convenient not only die just as soon as something better comes along, people have to hack together their own solutions. Probably less secure options, but there you go.
I won’t risk being locked out of my email while abroad, but setting up a second phone of any kind is undoable - so now forward all my email to another service that doesn’t require I have a phone to use it. I can log into Google all the life-long-day no matter what state my phone is in. Is this less secure? You bet. But I have no other options.
And that is why I’m off the Apple wagon after more than… 25(ish) years.
I’m not suggesting I have a better solution, mind you. And I’m glad if this 2FA works for you, but it’s unworkable for me, and I would assume most people just haven’t actually experienced how bad it can get. This Boing Boing post for example.
