Recovering Apple ID without access to iCloud email

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Recovering Apple ID without access to iCloud email

My phone recently broke and is unusable. I brought another and was going to set it up, but I couldn’t remember the password to my Apple ID. So I went through the prompts I could, to recover my account. The problem is when I get done with that it says it will send me a link to my iCloud in few hours. How am I supposed to access that email if I don’t know my password to get in to Apple. I looked online and it said you can view recovery status anytime at I forgot.apple.com but it doesn’t give that option. Instead, it takes me thru the prompts to reset password and then shows that it will send a link to my icloud in 72 hours. So I right back at square one

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: How to recover account

iPhone 13 Pro Max

Posted on Aug 14, 2025 10:16 AM

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Answer 1

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Aug 14, 2025 10:34 AM in response to Jaylen732

The email only tells you how many additional days you are going to have to wait and is sent within 72 hours. You won't be able to check the wait time until after 72 hours, and you do not need to have access to the email address. The actual reset instructions are sent by Text or Automated Phone Call after the waiting period is over, which could be a week later.

Also make sure that you are not inadvertently cancelling your Account Recovery request.

If you started your account recovery in Settings, System Settings, or the Apple Support app, you can continue to use that specific device during the account recovery period.
Regardless of how you started the account recovery request, you should turn off all other devices that are currently signed in with your Apple Account until account recovery is complete. If your Apple Account is in use during your request, your account recovery will be cancelled automatically.
If you started your account recovery request with iforgot.apple.com through your device’s browser, you should avoid using that device during this period. If possible, turn that device off. Using that device might cancel account recovery.

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

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