Apple ID Account Recovery: Invalid phone numbers

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Apple ID Account Recovery: Invalid phone numbers

Subject: Unable to complete Apple ID Account Recovery – phone number always marked as invalid

Hello,

I am contacting you regarding an issue with my Apple ID and Account Recovery process.

I know my Apple ID email address and password correctly, and I can sign in, but I am unable to complete verification because the trusted phone number on my account is no longer active and I do not have access to it.

I have tried to recover my account multiple times via https://iforgot.apple.com and always selected the option “I don’t have access to this phone number.” However, when I am asked to enter a contact phone number for account recovery, every number I enter is marked as “invalid,” including my current, active SIM card number from a mobile operator (not VoIP).

Details:

- Country: Serbia

- Phone number format tried: +38*******(no spaces, no dashes)

- Tried after waiting several days between attempts

- Issue persists: system does not accept any phone number and does not offer an email-only recovery option

Because of this, I am completely blocked from completing Account Recovery and cannot update my trusted phone number.

I am not asking for my account to be unlocked manually, but I am asking for guidance on how to proceed when the Account Recovery system does not accept any valid phone number and offers no alternative verification method.

Please advise on the next steps.

Thank you for your time and support.

Kind regards,

Nina ****

[Edited by Moderator]

iPhone 16 Pro Max, iOS 18

Posted on Feb 10, 2026 4:46 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Limnos

Community+ 2026

Level 10

429,303 points

Feb 10, 2026 7:44 AM in response to Nicolumi9

I presume your account is set to Serbia as the country and you are not using a VPN? It seems to me Apple thinks your account information is not consistent with somebody residing in Serbia with their account set to the country where they reside and are physically present.

If neither of the above apply then in your situation I would contact Apple by telephone and ask them how to resolve this.

Refer to this page for Apple Support features ➔ Contact - Official Apple Support

Select from the presented options until you find a solution for your issue, or see if there is a chat or phone call contact method offered lower on the page under “Get more help” (you sometimes have to narrow down the options multiple times before this is shown). If you do not see your issue, keep experimenting with any series of selections until you reach one that offers a chat session or a telephone call and get the representative to redirect you.

This support article has various country telephone numbers for contacting Apple for support and service ➔ Contact Apple Support - Apple Support Scroll down to “Connect with live support”. If your country is not in the list, go to the “Other countries” entry at the end of the list. Not every country has telephone support, and phone numbers may only work when calling from the same country.

For chat, you can try using the Apple Support App —> https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-support/id1130498044

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