Two-factor authentication account access checklist

Inventory trusted-device coverage

Confirm critical users can pass two-factor authentication from current trusted devices and phone numbers. Focus on Account Holder, admins, release owners, finance owners, and emergency contacts.

Do not wait until a launch, payout issue, or incident to discover that the trusted device belongs to a departed employee or unavailable founder.

AppReviewReady interpretation: 2FA continuity is both security and release readiness. Strong authentication should not create a single-person operational bottleneck.

Create backup coverage

• At least two current people can handle critical account tasks.
• Trusted devices are current and controlled by the right users.
• Account Holder transfer plan is documented.
• Finance and release owners know escalation paths.
• Vendor access does not depend on shared personal devices.

Review after owner changes

After leadership changes, staff departures, device replacements, phone number changes, or company acquisitions, review 2FA coverage immediately. These events often break account recovery assumptions.

If a critical user travels or goes on leave during a launch window, confirm backup coverage before submission. The best release plan still fails if nobody can approve required account actions.

Separate Apple security requirements from AppReviewReady interpretation: Apple secures account access; AppReviewReady recommends a continuity plan around critical operations.

Prepare incident response

1. Record who can access account-critical workflows.
2. Test sign-in before major launches and finance changes.
3. Review trusted devices during offboarding.
4. Escalate lost-device or compromised-account scenarios quickly.
5. Log access continuity reviews in operations notes.

2FA continuity record

The record keeps access continuity visible without documenting secrets or weakening authentication.

Review it before Account Holder transfers, paid launches, and major release windows. Those are the moments when account access matters most.

After any access incident, update the record and the offboarding checklist. Account access failures should become process improvements, not repeated surprises.

Do not share trusted devices or codes as a workaround. If the organization lacks legitimate backup access, fix the team and role model rather than weakening the authentication boundary.

Travel, device replacement, and phone-number changes should trigger a quick access test for critical users. These ordinary life events are common causes of launch-day account surprises.

For finance and account-holder tasks, document who can escalate when 2FA fails. Product teams should not discover during a payment or agreement issue that no authorized person can complete the workflow.

Keep the continuity record free of secrets; it should name coverage, not store credentials.

2FA continuity record:
Critical user: [name]
Role: [holder/admin/release/finance]
Trusted device current: [yes/no]
Backup owner: [name]
Last tested: [date]
Risk: [none/action]
Next review: [date]