I’m having an unusual problem with Apple Account Recovery and would like to know whether anyone has experienced something similar.
I originally discovered the problem when I tried to sign in to my Apple Account on my iPad. My password had apparently been changed, but I had not changed it myself. I therefore started the Apple Account Recovery process.
Here is the timeline:
- September 16: I submitted an account recovery request through iforgot.apple.com. I completed the verification steps using my trusted phone number and email address.
- Apple emailed me saying that my account would be ready to recover on September 19 at 8:27 AM, and that I would receive a text message or phone call.
- September 19: The specified time passed, but I received no text message or phone call.
- I then went back to iforgot.apple.com, because Apple’s instructions say that if no text or call is received after the waiting period, you can return to iforgot.apple.com. However, instead of continuing the existing recovery request, this started a new account recovery request with another waiting period.
- September 20: I contacted Apple Support by phone. The advisor instructed me to use Safari on an iPad that was already signed in to the affected Apple Account, go to iforgot.apple.com, and submit another password reset/account recovery request.
- I followed those instructions. After about 24 hours, I received an email saying that the account would be ready to recover on September 23 at 10:13 AM.
- September 23: Again, the specified recovery time passed, but I received no text message or phone call.
- This time I did not submit another recovery request myself. I contacted Apple Support again.
- The advisor instructed me to use another iPad that was already signed in to the same Apple Account and start the password reset process from Settings, rather than from the web.
- I followed those instructions and was again told to wait 24 hours.
- I have now received another recovery email. It says that the recovery request was made on September 23 at 11:29 AM, and that I should receive a text message or phone call when the account is ready to recover on September 26 at 11:29 AM.
One thing I find particularly confusing is that although the latest recovery process was started from the Settings app on an already signed-in iPad, the confirmation email still says:
“An account recovery request for your Apple Account was made from the web.”
At this point I have gone through several recovery waiting periods, and each time the promised recovery date has arrived without any text message or phone call.
I understand that Apple Support cannot shorten the account recovery waiting period, and I am not asking how to bypass or shorten it. My concern is that the recovery process seems to reach the specified date but never proceeds to the final recovery step.
Has anyone experienced this situation before?
In particular, I would like to know:
1. Has anyone had an account recovery date arrive without receiving the promised SMS or phone call multiple times?
2. If the recovery date passes again, is there a way to continue the existing recovery request without accidentally starting another one?
3. Is it normal for an account recovery started from Settings on a signed-in iPad to generate an email saying that the request was made “from the web”?
4. Could continued use of the iPad that was used to start recovery from Settings interfere with the recovery process? I need to keep at least one of my iPads available for work.
I have already contacted Apple Support several times and have followed their instructions each time. I’m mainly hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced the same repeated recovery loop and successfully resolved it.
For privacy reasons, I have omitted my Apple Account email address, phone number, and recovery links from this post.