Waiting for AppleID recovery. Exactly what will we get?

Mr Allen,

Thank you for your reply to our post

We received a message similar to the one that you provided, but the received message is only a more complete response to our creation of an account recovery request.

I may not have made what I was asking for in my original post so I will restate it

We want to know what is the form of the information we will receive when the account is "ready for recovery."

For example:

Since it is the password for my wife's Apple ID that is forgotten, will the recovery instructions provide the forgotten password or a temporary password that will have to be immediately changed.

Or will it quiz her on some security questions which she may or may not remember.

I read in other threads on Discussion.Apple.com that many other users are having extremely long waits for their recoveries. Weeks and weeks for some of them. And another thread says that even at Apple, there is no human who can speed things up.

With so many waiting cases, I would think that there must be many different scenarios behind the many requests for account recovery, and that Apple can't cope with all of them, and maybe doesn't even yet have a taxonomy for all the cases.

Bob

It's me again😕

1. Account Recovery Requested

When your account is ready for recovery, we will send instructions to xxx xxx-xxxx; and

2. Account Recovery in Progress

Your account will be ready for recovery in 24 hours.

At that time, we will send instructions to the phone number you provided.

There is an option to learn more about account recovery, but a genius at the apple store

said that for our case Recovery is the only option.

We have never received the promised instructions.

Will someone who has successfully received instructions please explain what happens then.

Thanks,

Bob

Dear Liv0123,

Are you aware that there is NO PATH to a get to the status of an Apple ID recovery STATUS.

We tried "iforgot.apple.com" multiple times and the only thing that iforgot.apple.com is lead to requesting yet another account recovery, which elicits another promise of 24 hour recovery in a new email.

I have to assume that Apple Support doesn't read these discussions.

In addition, you should've been given a specific date on when to receive the information that will be either messaged or phoned to the number you input (as shown in Allen's post - look at how it states December 9). If you don't receive the info then (the date given), check in at iforgot to check status as per usual.

SEE MY REPLY TO YOUR PREVIOUS POST. THERE IS NO WAY TO CHECK THE STATUS.

- You will get a text or phone call (dependent on the manner in which you chose to receive the instructions) and you can get right back into your account. You will not get an email with this info in it. It only goes to the number you input - nowhere else

UNDERSTOOD

- Regarding scenarios, there are many and there are stages that the verification team goes through based on information provided to prove your identity. Each case is unique because each customer and person is unique.

- If it has to be set back, the iforgot site will let you know how long/if it's been extended and yes, it can absolutely get set back for an array of reasons but one thing is definite; this means they are still trying to verify your identity and have updated your file based on information thus far

- The more information they had ORIGINALLY in your account information, the better. If you added info after, it can't hurt but won't help unless they specifically requested it at the time of recovery (a credit card or bank card for example). It will help in the future for an array of potential things that may come about however

THE ONLY INFO THAT WAS "SOLICITED" WAS THE IPHONE NUMBER AND THE CREDIT CARD THAT WAS REGISTERED WITH THE APP STORE. IT DID NOT ASK ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AND NOWHERE WAS THERE ANY PLACE TO GIVE ANY OTHER INFO THAT MIGHT HAVE HELPED TO PROVE THE SECURITY OF MY WIFE'S ACCOUNT. I MENTIONED IN MY POST OTHER SCENARIOS THAT MIGHT COMPROMISE RECOVERY. ONE IS THAT SINCE THE SUBJECT IPHONE BECAME THE TRUSTED DEVICE, WE HAD A CHANGE OF CELL CARRIER. IF APPLE CHECKS T-MOBILE THEY CERTAINLY WON'T GET A GOO ANSWER. IF THERE HAD BEEN A WAY TO INCLUDE OTHER DATA IN THE ORIGINAL REQUEST, WE CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE GIVEN THAT CARRIER CHANGE SO THE NEW CARRIER WOULD BE

- They literally have to research and reach out just based on the info you put in to prove you are who you state you are

- That, in and of itself, is a huge task, unless you had a great deal of identifying information not only with Apple but with the card you had on file and that issuer.

- With that said, if you had a card on file prior to recovery it helps; however, please keep in mind that they are also very dependent on card issuers, financial institutions and other sources they contact to get back with them and confirm your identity. The quicker they get the appropriate information back, the better

- There are more stages but ultimately, there's no way they are going to send out how to regain immediate access without confirming you are who you state you are 100%, per the documentation they've acquired and reviewed. Why? They are dealing with your identity at this point - bottom line, which (naturally) is a very real and serious issue and should be taken with great care

- Then, you simply have volume. At this time of the year, with people buying new devices, immediately forgetting their information, relinquishing their trusted devices and forgetting to update their account info, it sets others back to be quite honest. Typically, this isn't such an issue. But now/during the holidays? yes - people walk right out after purchasing a device and giving their former one up, and worse without updating their account info and now have to go into account recovery as well, because they only input one trusted device and gave that away, have no access to their email for example (and again, did not update their account information on appleid.apple.com). Thus, this is an addition they have and in turn, the customer.

- Finally, the security team is its very own entity within Apple. NO ONE can contact them; thus, increasing and continuing to protect security overall of account holders.
So...this is an overview of essentially what occurs. I've seen people wait only 8 hours; others two months - it is so unique and individualized
Wish I had positive news but hope this helps explain things a bit more

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO GO OVER EVERYTHING. AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOURS.

BOB