How is this acceptable to wait 2 weeks to recover your ID?

From: How to use account recovery when you can’t reset your Apple ID password - Apple Support

"In some cases, you might 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. You might also be able to shorten the wait time by providing credit-card details to confirm your identity. If you’re given this option, an authorization request goes to the card issuer." - see the document for more details.

Apple Support Communities is set up as an end-user to end-user technical issue support service (i.e., users like you helping other users). Feedback for Apple will likely get more attention if you send it using: Product Feedback - Apple

roboticflamingo wrote:

Btw it's possible that a user can get in to a knot with an Apple ID if you set up or login on a new device and you cannot remember the password (esp if you have multiple devices), and the only way out is to recover account. For some reason, it only listed devices that I am not associated with, despite having another machine logged in nearby. In my case it says 2 weeks, as a software engineer - it's kind of stupid because I have actually authenticated via multiple methods (phone and email). It's a bit below par for sure. I don't mind it being secure, but it's a bit OTT IMO.

Well, how acceptable would it be if a hacker did NOT have to wait 2 weeks to get access to your account? As pretty much everyone’s personal details are available for a price on the dark web, verifying your identity is much harder than you realize. Both your phone and your email are public information and can be spoofed, to use your example.

The alternative is for YOU to take total responsibility for your account security by creating a Recovery Key. Once you do that Apple will not be able to unlock your account at all, but, as long as you keep your Recovery Key secure, you can do it yourself with no waiting period. See→Set up a recovery key for your Apple ID - Apple Support.

If you use the website to start recovery, you have to make sure you turn off every single device that Apple ID is logged into. If any of those devices pings the system while you are in recovery, it will kick you out thinking you logged in. However, if you start recovery from your iPhone, you can still use that iPhone until your recovery wait is completed.

You must still make sure all your other devices, including watches, iPads etc are turned off for the duration of your recovery. Just as a tip, if the system has nothing to identify you by, for example, no credit card, no trusted number access, no email access, then the wait is typically much longer.

If you want Apple to hear about your dissatisfaction click on this link for Apple products feedback links --> Product Feedback - Apple

The people here are just other users like yourself. They may agree with you but it won't effect any changes.

You would be truly furious at Apple if someone was able to impersonate you and gain access to your account. That is why Apple needs incontrovertible proof that you are who you say you are. SMS, personal and business email, personal information such as name, address, government ID, credit information, spouse, parents, children are all PUBLIC thanks to hundreds of hacks of supposedly secure databases, including the major credit bureaus, the US Government personnel systems. And just a few days ago: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/08/nationalpublicdata-com-hack-exposes-a-nations-data/

So anyone who wants to impersonate you can.

Btw it's possible that a user can get in to a knot with an Apple ID if you set up or login on a new device and you cannot remember the password (esp if you have multiple devices), and the only way out is to recover account. For some reason, it only listed devices that I am not associated with, despite having another machine logged in nearby. In my case it says 2 weeks, as a software engineer - it's kind of stupid because I have actually authenticated via multiple methods (phone and email). It's a bit below par for sure. I don't mind it being secure, but it's a bit OTT IMO.

Peterla123 wrote:

This is amazing, people rely on access to their account for important information and yet it takes 2 weeks what is the reason for this this could cause some serious issues for many people

If people rely on access to their account for important information it is incumbent upon them to protect their passwords and set up alternate ways of accessing their important information. It isn’t Apple’s responsibility to play nursemaid to grownups. Apple provides several alternate ways for users to access their Apple ID account, but ultimately it is the user’s responsibility to set them up in the first place.

Blutstein wrote:

I was told it would only take 4 days and now they are saying 24 days. Is there anything you can do?

Nothing you can do now, but after you gain access to your account you need to take one of the measures to avoid any delays:

• Add Trusted Phone Number - Two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Apple Support
• Add Recovery Contact - Set up an account recovery contact - Apple Support

piurexroa wrote:

Requires both channels to be compromised. They are more than enough

Regardless of your opinion, Apple has decided to do things a certain way. No one here can change that.

I waited 55 days. Spent 40 hrs on phone with Apple. Here is my advice: Turn off and leave off ALL devices connected to your ID.

I have never needed to do this. Here's posts purportedly detailing the process:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253301215?answerId=256173158022#256173158022

and

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254801233?answerId=258950793022#258950793022

Same case for my daughter. She is not able to reset her password for iCloud for more than 2 weeks. Apples validation prompts rotates amongsts three of her apple devices however after successful validation, non of the devices are able to save her new password.

She spent hours on 30+ calls with apple support calls & 1 in-store genius bar visit (and as of last Friday, she was told that her ticket was marked with P2 priority with ATS team and issue is still not resolved). We are iCloud+ customers who pays expensive subscription every month however issue remains.

She is due to travel to another city on her own with her broken phone (for which repair requires to reset password and log out of device). As a parents, we are very concerned sending our daughter to another location with broken device.

Apple wake up !!

[Edited by Moderator]

The same thing is happening with my iPhone. The recovery is not working. I purchased my new phone the 1st week of February. I have been to the Apple store 3 times; and online with Apple numerous times. Each time I get a message from Apple, I follow their instructions (even at the Apple store with their employees) and the end result is nothing; need more verification. I have now been pushed back from February 21 to March 6th. I am seriously looking at the Android. The only solution Apple has given me is to clear both my old phone and new phone. I cannot loose all of the information, business information, etc. from my old phone. This solution is not acceptable. Apple is causing financial damage to my business. How is it acceptable to wait 5 weeks to recover the password for my account?

None of us here can help you reactivate your account, you have to contact Contact - Official Apple Support, as everyone has said.

Contact Official Apple Support, that is the only option.