How to Automatically Fill SMS Passcodes & Security Codes on iPhone, iPad, Mac

Messages for iPhone, Mac, and iPad all contain a really handy feature that autofills security codes that are sent to you via text message. You know the type, as these text message verification codes are often required for signing into financial institutions or many other things that use it as a method of identity and device verification, and for two-factor authentication.

Autofill for security codes works really well, and the feature is basically identical on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, so if you learn how this works on one, you’ll know how it works on all the major Apple platforms.

How to Autofill SMS/Messages Security Codes on iPhone, Mac, iPad

This feature is super convenient when you’re logging into a site that requires one-time passcodes, security codes, and device verification codes. Here’s how it works:

1. Open Messages on the Mac, iPhone, or iPad if it’s not currently running, and then switch back to Safari (this is not technically necessary but appears to make the feature more consistently reliable)
2. Return to Safari where you’re logging into the site that requires the security code and proceed with the login as usual
3. Safari will soon detect the security code that is sent to you via SMS or text message, and you’ll see an option to autofill the security code. Tap or click on that to autofill the security code
4. The login should proceed as expected, with the autofilled security code

Occasionally, you may need to tap or click directly into the field where the security code is entered, and then the security code gets detected from Messages and offers the autofill option.

This feature usually works really fast to autofill security codes on iPhone, Mac, and iPad.

Requirements for this feature are fairly obvious; you must be using iMessage/Messages (and therefore iCloud / Apple ID), you must be using Safari, and you must have a modern version of system software on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

A similar feature exists in modern versions of Mail and Safari for iPhone, iPad, and Mac too, so if a security code gets emailed to you instead of texted, you can still use the security code autofill functionality.