Stolen iPhone and the changing Apple ID password.

Question

Stolen iPhone and the changing Apple ID password.

My son had his iPhone stolen. Unfortunately, he did not have Find My iPhone enabled, so we followed the relevant steps on the apple support page "If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost or stolen" https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201472.

The first thing we did was to change his Apple ID password via his mac. As soon as we did that we tried to sign back in to iCloud on his mac with the new password, but couldn't because the two-factor authentication code was being sent to his iPhone ... which was stolen!

The only way for him to regain access to icloud is to recover his Apple ID via iforgot.apple.com, which we have just been notified will take 2 weeks!

This is incredibly frustrating, especially since we followed the instructions on the Apple Support page to the letter 😟

So ... if anyone is in a similar boat, make sure you change the phone number that is to be used for the authentication BEFORE you change your password.

Posted on Oct 14, 2018 11:51 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 16, 2018 3:45 PM in response to Alun Phillips

I'm a bit confused as to why he would have signed out of iCloud on his Mac? Had he remained signed in, it would have still been a Trusted Device. And you do not need to sign out of iCloud in order to change your Apple ID password: Change your Apple ID password - Apple Support

I know the recovery process is frustrating and long. The best remedy for that (doesn't help you now, but may save headaches for anyone in your family that uses Apple devices and has Two-Factor Authentication turned on) is to set up multiple Trusted Phone numbers on the Apple ID account in question. Trusted Phone numbers can be iPhones, Androids, or landlines. Any phone that can receive a text or phone call can be set up as a trusted number. And it can be any number of any person that you trust and can get in touch with if you need a verification code and do not have access to your phone. So, for example, I have my iPhone, my landline home phone, and my husband's iPhone and landline work phone listed as Trusted Phone numbers.

Again, I know it doesn't help at this moment, but may save frustration down the line for anyone in your family that has Two-Factor Authentication for their Apple ID.

Best,

GB

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Answer 2

Oct 16, 2018 7:58 PM in response to gail from maine

He was signed into his iCloud account on his Mac. Yes, his Mac was a trusted device. Because we changed his password via https://appleid.apple.com/ and not via iCloud in System Prefs, his iCloud session (on his Mac) was no longer valid, and he had to log back in (via iCloud in Sys Prefs). At this point his Mac was no longer a trusted device, so the verification code was sent to his only other trusted device ... the stolen iPhone.

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Answer 3

Oct 16, 2018 7:23 PM in response to Alun Phillips

Alun Phillips wrote:

GB - You are correct, it was an iCloud.com session, because those are the steps provided on the support page you referenced to change your Apple ID password: Change your Apple ID password - Apple Support. It's a shame the suggestion wasn't to do it via sys prefs.

OK, so what I'm saying is that if he was signed into his iCloud account on the Mac (in System Preferences), then that Mac would have been a Trusted Device which would have been able to receive a Verification Code. You automatically receive Verification Codes on Trusted Devices, and you can select any Trusted Phone Number to receive a code on if you do not have access to any of your Trusted Devices.

Best,

GB

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Answer 4

Oct 15, 2018 6:51 PM in response to Eric Root

Unfortunately not. He had two trusted devices ... his stolen phone and his mac. Because he had changed his Apple ID password and was trying to sign back into iCloud on his mac, his mac was no longer a trusted device. So ... the verification code was sent to the only remaining trusted device ... the stolen iPhone!

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Answer 5

Oct 16, 2018 3:45 PM in response to Alun Phillips

OK, so you are describing an iCloud.com session. I was referring to iCloud under System Preferences. If he was signed into iCloud there, then that Mac would be a Trusted Device, and should receive a Verification Code.

As for the phone number question, if he chooses not to set up another Trusted Phone Number (which can only receive a Verification Code if he specifically selects it during a sign in where a Verification Code needs to be generated), then he will have to put up with the delays involved for the recovery process. But if he has another Trusted Device, then that would also be able to receive Verification Codes.

Have him sign into his Apple ID page (when he gets access again) so he can see how and where Trusted Phone numbers and devices are set up: Apple - My Apple ID

Best,

GB

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Answer 6

Oct 15, 2018 10:59 PM in response to gail from maine

He didn't actively sign out of iCloud on his mac, but once he had changed his Apple ID password at https://appleid.apple.com/ (following the steps for "On your Mac" on the page you referenced) he was automatically signed out of iCloud on his mac, because his current iCloud session was no longer valid (because the password had changed!)

I didn't know you could have multiple phones listed as trusted numbers. Unfortunately, my son is 17 and trusts no one (especially his parents), so would never list a phone number that we could access, as trusted!

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Answer 7

Oct 16, 2018 3:46 PM in response to gail from maine

GB - You are correct, it was an iCloud.com session, because those are the steps provided on the support page you referenced to change your Apple ID password: Change your Apple ID password - Apple Support. It's a shame the suggestion wasn't to do it via sys prefs.

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