I dont understand why account recovery takes so long

Are you talking about account recovery under two-factor authentication and understanding why account recover takes so long in this context? If yes,

See Recover your Apple ID when you can’t reset your password  https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204921which you may need to use.

“Account recovery might take a few days or longer, depending on the specific account information you can provide to verify your identity. “After you request account recovery, you'll get an email with a confirmation of your request and the date and time of when you can expect to regain access.” … When the wait period is over, Apple sends you a text or automated phone call with instructions to regain access to your account. Follow the instructions to immediately regain access to your Apple ID.”

And see these two headings: Check the status or cancel your request and Options you might see.

Under the first:

·      “At any time, you can see how long it will be until your account is ready for recovery, or when more information will be available. Just go to iforgot.apple.com and enter your Apple ID.

·      If you remember your information and can sign in successfully, your wait period cancels automatically and you can use your Apple ID immediately.

·      To cancel a recovery request that you did not make, follow the instructions in your email confirmation. “

Note that account recovery is an automated process and that the length of time recovery takes is a function of the length of the recovery queue.

Under the second;

“In some cases, you might be given options that could shorten the wait time during account recovery. For example, you might be able to provide credit-card details to confirm your identity. If you’re given the option to confirm your credit-card details, an authorization request goes to the card issuer.*

You might also be able to speed up the account recovery process or reset your password immediately by verifying a six-digit code sent to your primary email address.”