Want to highlight a helpful answer? Upvote!

Did someone help you, or did an answer or User Tip resolve your issue? Upvote by selecting the upvote arrow. Your feedback helps others! Learn more about when to upvote >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Lost iCloud email address and password.. Help!

If I forgot my iCloud email address and password, which are different from my Apple ID, is there any way to retrieve it? I've looked everywhere thoughout the discussion boards and cannot find an answer. My phone had reset and is asking me to use only my @iCloud.com ID to restore all of the data and I cannot remember what it is, thus I cannot reactivate my phone. Does anyone know if there is any way to have this email and password sent to a different email? Again this is not my normal Apple ID which I use for iTunes and such, it is my iCloud account. If anyone has any idea how to help me I would greatly appreciate it!!

iPhone 4S, iOS 7

Posted on Dec 22, 2013 4:30 PM

Reply
160 replies

Mar 24, 2017 8:45 PM in response to Joe-rizk-11

You are going to have to remember your own email address that you used for iCloud. Is that what you are indicating? That you do not remember your own iCloud ID? If so, then go to: FORGOT APPLE ID and keep trying until you find it.


Your only other remedy would be to take your original Apple Sales receipt along with a photo ID to your local Apple Store and they should be able to remove the Activation Lock.


Best of luck,


GB

Jul 28, 2017 2:39 PM in response to oh4corolla

Not sure what you mean when you indicate that Apple has said that "nothing can be done".


First, a Rescue email address is never the same as the Apple ID, so if a Rescue email is being sent, then it is being sent to a different address.


Secondly, if you can remember at least one of the answers to your security questions, then Apple Support should be able to send a reset link to an email address that they can verify is yours.


Contact the support folks that take care of this sort of thing specifically: ACCOUNT SECURITY SUPPORT


If you find that it is simply not usable, then recycle it: Recycling - Apple Store (U.S.)


Best of luck,


GB

Jan 3, 2017 6:53 AM in response to Kara0321

If I forgot my iCloud email address and password, which are different from my Apple ID, is there any way to retrieve it? I've looked everywhere thoughout the discussion boards and cannot find an answer. My phone had reset and is asking me to use only my @iCloud.com ID to restore all of the data and I cannot remember what it is, thus I cannot reactivate my phone. Does anyone know if there is any way to have this email and password sent to a different email? Again this is not my normal Apple ID which I use for iTunes and such, it is my iCloud account. If anyone has any idea how to help me I would greatly appreciate it!!

Mar 26, 2017 1:33 AM in response to Karmanjot

I see little point now to continue this thread (which has been open for several years). The same question is repeatedly being asked: basically people want to know how to bypass activation lock. THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE and is there to protect the security of your iPad or iPhone. GB has kindly provided instructions to recover one's own Apple ID. I suggest people search the thread before posting and please stop asking the same questions again and again... thank you.

Jul 27, 2017 9:15 AM in response to gail from maine

Hi Gail,I've just read pretty much all of the thread.My / our problem may be due to the devices being second hand.

My son updated his iPad mini & my husband updated his iPad.

They're both several years old and I bought them through eBay and gumtree sites. I understand if they haven't been properly "forgotten" or if find my phone hasn't been turned off it's the paperweight thing BUT if you've set it up and used the device ( for several years without a problem) with your own Apple / iCloud ID then can't remember the iCloud email ( tried & tried many variations & done all the Apple ID reset PW too which sends you in a circle )

is it possible that this can get sorted?

OR is our problem still connected to the original owners?

If so how were we able to set up & use them initially?

Thanks,Liz

Jul 27, 2017 9:20 PM in response to niokaplumbing

If you think that the devices may be signed into their own iCloud accounts with Find My iPhone turned on, then you are going to have to figure out what the Apple/iCloud ID that they used is.


The iCloud ID and the Apple ID should both be tied to the same account, so if you know the Apple ID, then go to www.iCloud.com on a computer and sign into the iCloud account with that Apple ID. Then click on the Find My iPhone app. See if you are able to see the two devices listed under the Find My iPhone app. If you are, then ERASE them from that Find My iPhone app. Use your Apple ID password when it asks for one. Once they are erased, REMOVE them from the Find My iPhone account on iCloud.com.


Then you can restore them and sign them back into iCloud and turn Find My iPhone back on.


Cheers,


GB

Jul 28, 2017 2:33 PM in response to gail from maine

I have a similar issue where we have an old iPhone 4 we're giving to my kids and the "sign in to iCloud" keeps popping up. It tells us the iCloud email but we do not know the password. We forget the answers to the challenge questions and it sends the reset instructions to the iCloud email address that we cannot access.


We've already called Apple and it seems nothing can be done. Therefore this phone is pretty much useless. Is the only option to throw it in the trash at this point? It is difficult to use with that message popping up every 2 seconds

Oct 11, 2017 8:05 PM in response to gail from maine

The question is not how to recover apple password, which is where you are sending her. Kara does not have the password to her icloud email account. I understand her question because i have the same question. There does not seem to be a way to recover the password for icloud.com. If you are adding that address to an Outlook account, you need the password.

Lost iCloud email address and password.. Help!

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.