I'm trying to change my password on a 2nd account. I have the email address and password but have forgotten the phone number which was used for the account so I can't complete the 2 factor login in.
How do I change this or start account recovery??
Having spent an hour on the web and hour on apples so called support page I'm no further forward.
Why do apple make things so hard????
Do you have other Apple equipment signed into that account? Based on: Get a verification code and sign in with two-factor authentication - Apple Support
A code is sent first to your trusted devices automatically. If you have a trusted device running iOS 9 and later, OS X El Capitan and later, iPadOS 13 and later, or watchOS 6 and later, the verification code is displayed automatically on your trusted devices.
I don't use 2FA but I thought they sent the code to the number you provided when you set up the account. You don't have to provide is when you sign in later. That would be pointless because any hacker could just provide their own number.
If you find you can’t sign in, reset your password, or receive verification codes, you can request account recovery (get Apple’s own instructions in this article: How to use account recovery when you can’t reset your Apple Account password - Apple Support ) to regain access to your account. Account recovery might take a few days or longer, depending on the specific account information you can provide to verify your identity. One tip to using account recovery it to look for options in small blue letters beneath the normal log-in items if you cannot complete the requested information.
Here are links to posts by Community contributors which provide additional detail about the account recovery process and what to do if you do not receive a text or call: Activation Lockout Issues - Apple Community and How can I reset my Apple Account password? - Apple Community . This thread outlines the multi-step process and final recovery —> My Apple ID is locked, how do I fix it? - Apple Community , and this one about things you should and should not do while waiting —> How can I recover my Apple ID after multi… - Apple Community
Do you have other Apple equipment signed into that account? Based on: Get a verification code and sign in with two-factor authentication - Apple Support
A code is sent first to your trusted devices automatically. If you have a trusted device running iOS 9 and later, OS X El Capitan and later, iPadOS 13 and later, or watchOS 6 and later, the verification code is displayed automatically on your trusted devices.
I don't use 2FA but I thought they sent the code to the number you provided when you set up the account. You don't have to provide is when you sign in later. That would be pointless because any hacker could just provide their own number.
If you find you can’t sign in, reset your password, or receive verification codes, you can request account recovery (get Apple’s own instructions in this article: How to use account recovery when you can’t reset your Apple Account password - Apple Support ) to regain access to your account. Account recovery might take a few days or longer, depending on the specific account information you can provide to verify your identity. One tip to using account recovery it to look for options in small blue letters beneath the normal log-in items if you cannot complete the requested information.
Here are links to posts by Community contributors which provide additional detail about the account recovery process and what to do if you do not receive a text or call: Activation Lockout Issues - Apple Community and How can I reset my Apple Account password? - Apple Community . This thread outlines the multi-step process and final recovery —> My Apple ID is locked, how do I fix it? - Apple Community , and this one about things you should and should not do while waiting —> How can I recover my Apple ID after multi… - Apple Community
Hi, no other devices are linked to the account. Just spent 20 minutes on the phone to apple support and they basically told me to do everything I've been trying to do, so great help.
Is there a way I can delete the account so it will free up my email address?
Deleting an account might tie up the address for 6 years. Anyway, to delete an account you have to have access to the account in the first place.
From: How to delete your Apple Account - Apple Support
“Can I use the primary email address for my deleted Apple Account to create a new Apple Account or with another existing Apple Account?
No, once your Apple Account is deleted, you can’t use the email address that you used with it to create a new Apple Account for as long as Apple retains the one-way hash of the email address. For third-party (non-Apple) domain accounts, the one-way hash is deleted after six years. For other accounts, this is retained according to Apple's retention policy, which is reviewed regularly. In addition, you can’t use that email address with another existing Apple Account except as a rescue email. Also, if your primary Apple Account email address is with a Custom Email Domain, it can never be reused to create an Apple Account after your Apple Account is deleted, even if the domain ownership changes.”
Resetting password without phone number
