How do I get rid of two-step verification?

Good morning @winwadsworth,

We'd be glad to assist you. We take account security very seriously. That is why two step verification is unable to be removed. We greatly appreciate your feedback, as we are always looking for ways to improve our customers experiences. Thanks for reaching out to us.

Makaela, AT&T Community Specialist.

2 step verification should recognize and allow previous devices.  I only had to verify on my tablet once.  

 Hacking cell accounts is a common problem.  Like it or not, it’s for your protection.

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@winwadsworth wrote:
Thanks for the reply. I do have 2 step verification with a PIN #, and that's fine.  That’s not 2 step authorization.  It’s just 2 passwords.  It has not proved to prevent scammers from accessing accounts, order new phones, and ship them to 3rd party.   2 step authorization sends a code/request to a personal device, before access is granted to the account.   2 step should only require a device be approved once.  

It's the texting verification that is annoying. My device is recognized once or twice, then reverts back to unrecognized and the text is required again. My main point is that an account holder should have control over security, not AT&T.

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Unfortunately At&t is the one who is the primary victim if your account is hacked and phones stolen.  They have every right to secure their system and our accounts.  I do not object, just the opposite.    I’ve read a few posts by customers who went through it - I don’t want to be one of those account holders.  

They get thousands billed to their account, they have to go to At&t and get all new SIM cards.  And it doesn’t get fixed as quickly as common sense demands.

Hi @winwadsworth

Thanks for your feedback. We want you to know we are partners when it comes to your account security. We never want you to feel like you are not in control.

Two-step verification is triggered when your Trusted Sign-in Location cookie is cleared or deleted from your Web browser/app, or you log in after completing the Forgot Password Flow, or log in using a different Web browser with an ID that already when through Trusted Sign-In.

You can manage extra security for your wireless account. Go to Profile > and then Sign-in info > choose account from dropdown > select Manage extra security in the Wireless passcode section > check/uncheck extra security, and follow prompts.

We hope this information helps. Please give this a try, and post back to share once you have updated your account security preferences. Thank you!

Kenneth, AT&T Community Specialist

Translation, you're too incompetent to manage your own security, so AT&T has decided to protect you from yourself.  It's a HUGE issue.  Our clients are billed for time spent working on their cases, so the assistants have to log into the cellphone accounts for the attorneys and investigators.  They then bill for the calls made so the client can have an accurate, detailed billing.  However, since this has been implemented, they can no longer login without requesting a code, then the attorney who  may be in court gets a text, and they have to text that back to the office.  The sad thing is that we already have additional security via PIN Code enabled.  

Hey Big Brother, how about at least giving us the ability to send the two-step to the email address on file for the account so our assistants can access it with our authorization, or do you not trust us to manage or email either?

@GordonGekko

   Hey Mike Douglas, AT&T added this security measure because they average several thousand hacked accounts and stolen phones a month.  Verizon has done the same. 

It's not done by email, because near 100% of the account hacks start with hacking the related email, but almost never start by stealing the phones /numbers

@lizance40

That would be a "their" problem.  I'm worried about "my" problem.  Your problems should never become your customers' problems.  That's taught in MBA programs as "bad management."  

@GordonGekko

If it were not the customers problem, AT&T would not require it on customer accounts.  

At&t has every right to protect themselves, and their customers, whether they like it or not, from fraudulent purchases and hacked accounts.