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Locked out of Apple ID AND lost Recovery Key fo...

Hey guys,

Firstly, as the title implies, this is a double-whammy of a problem, and obviously, it is very much my fault. The reason I'm bothering to post this, however, is to find out if anyone else has had this issue and where they are at with it.

The story:

I set up two-step verification on my Apple ID about a year ago as I thought it was a good idea. I wrote the Recovery Key down as it told you to, and put it in a folder full of other important documents. In a epic mental lapse, however, I now remember later throwing out that folder, forgetting about my Recovery Key. Ya, that is my fault, I'm and idiot. Anyways...

Fast forward to a few days ago, and I all of a sudden received messages on all my devices saying that my Apple ID had been disabled for security reasons, and that I had to reset the account in order to regain access to it. Scary, but no problem, right? Well, after entering my Apple ID into iForgot.com, the first thing it asked me for was my Recovery Key. This is around the time I was banging my head against the wall in realization that I had thrown it away, but I was relieved to see the "Lost your Recovery Key?" option at the bottom of the screen. I was even more relieved to discover that I had what I needed to reset it: my current password and a trusted Apple device. The catch was that to reset it, I needed to log into my Apple ID to initiate it, which of course I couldn't do because it had been disabled, and the only way for me to disable it is, again, to enter in my Recovery Key. This effectively put me in and endless loop, without any apparent way of gaining accesses to my account. I did contact Apple about it, and I was ultimately told that the lock on my account was so tight, that not even Apple could gain access to it.

I understand that this level of security is probably the whole reason for the two-step verification in the first place, and I again concede that it was extremely foolish of me for forgetting about and discarding my Recovery Key, but a few things still don't make sense...

1. Why would they put a "Lost your Recovery Key?" link on the password recovery page when a password is needed to reset the Recovery Key itself?

2. As far as I can remember, Apple, in their briefing of how two-step verification works, did not bring up this scenario, which is probably relatively common. They DO mention that they can't help when you don't have access to two of the three necessary things for recovery, but they never brought up the apparent exception of if the account is disabled, in which case having two of the three things needed is not enough. I don't understand how they couldn't have mentioned this scenario.

3. Given the above thought, how could Apple not have some sort of special contingency for this type of situation? I profess my ignorance of how these types of systems are set up, but I would feel that there should be a special method for recovery in place if the account has been locked, and the owner is able to verify that they have the password and trusted devices.

I didn't mean to make it sound like a rant. I ADORE Apple, but this system seems like it's less than perfect.

Has anyone else ran into this issue? If so, is your situation similar to mine?

Thanks for any response!

Well, I know it's been awhile, but as I promised in my second post, I'm responding to this discussion with some good news! Apple recently revamped their Apple ID management portal which, for me at least, has solved the problem.

Upon attempting to recover my password this time around, it gave me the new option of sending a text with a 4-digit verification code to the number registered on my locked account (my iPhone), followed by a prompt to input my old password. And so, with a modicum of disbelief, I was given the ability to create a new password, which simultaneously granted me access to the account that I had been locked out of for almost two years -- a feat accomplished using the same method that Apple's two-step verification ORIGINALLY PROMISED. The first thing I did was promptly reset my recovery key, which I then proceeded to inscribe on the inside of my eyelids, with a copy stabled to the underside of my desk for good measure . I then cried with tears of joy as I began rapidly recovering all the music, movies, apps, and other files that I had been blocked from accessing, though my demeanor inverted when I saw that I had over 15,000 emails to weed through. That was a fun evening.

Anyway, if you suffered a similar fate as I did, and still have an interest in the possibility of regaining access to your account, give it one more shot -- go to Apple's new Apple ID Management portal (https://appleid.apple.com/) and try reseting your password one more time. You will need your old password and access to a device still registered to that account (or a phone number registered to that account that can receive a text), but if your situation was like mine in nature, doing so should ultimately grant you access as well. I don't want to give anyone false hope, so if you read this and try, but do not get the same result, please respond to this thread and let me know.

If you're listing, Apple, you have my thanks for resolving this issue! Deep down, I had a feeling this would be remedied in time given how obscure the issue was. Now if we could only get the ability to transfer Apple ID purchases... 

Hey everyone.

It's been awhile, but I wanted to share with anyone who is interested some general knowledge about this issue that I have learned while communicating with Apple support. Unsurprisingly, the issue is still unresolved, and I am under the impression that it will remain that way, but I'm still trying to get in touch with one of the senior representatives I spoke with a while ago who seemed to think that there might be a solution, so I suppose there is still a chance that things could turn out for the better.

Here's the rundown:

Anytime you are unable to sign in to or access your account because of "security reasons", your account is under what is called a "DS Lockout".

A DS Lockout on an Apple ID can be triggered for a few reasons, such as when too many failed logins to the Apple ID (using an incorrect password) are attempted, or when a purchase is made that Apple believes to be fraudulent.

Under normal circumstances, a DS Lockout only lasts for 8 hours, after which the lock is lifted and access to the account by inputting the correct password is re-enabled.

This is where the catch for anybody who set up two-step verification is.

According to one of Apple's security representatives, IF you have two-step verification enabled upon being inflicted with a DS Lockout, the 8-hour lockout period is extended indefinitely as an additional security measure (a feature, I suppose). Therefore, the only way to regain access to the account is by resetting the password, as waiting for the lockout to expire is no longer an option. And of course, resetting your password, as stated by Apple, is one of the situations in which you need your Recovery Key. EVEN IF YOU KNOW WHAT THE ACCOUNT'S CURRENT PASSWORD IS, the lockout prevents you from being able to input it as a means of authentication. You MUST reset your password in order to regain access, and you MUST input your recovery key in order to reset your password.

So, that seems to be the gist of it. It does make sense, but here's my problem:

Upon setting up two-step verification, Apple does warn you of many things, but they do not make any mention of this specific scenario. Indeed, it is very much my fault for loosing my verification key, but the thing is, I’m human, I make mistakes, and I know that I will continue to do so. One of the reasons I chose to take the risk of setting up two-step verification is because Apple explicitly stated that as long as I had access to two of the three required "keys" -- my Recovery Key, my password, and at least one of my trusted Apple devices -- I would always be able to gain access to my account. In other words, as long as I didn’t screw up so bad as to loose access to two of my keys, I’d be okay. Obviously, there is a huge exception to this case that, again, is not mentioned anywhere, hence all the confusion. Had I know that it was possible that it could come down to me needing a single, specific key to regain access to my account, I probably would have opted out of two-step verification, recognizing that as a busy college student who's constantly reorganizing and dealing with tons of forms, worksheets, and other various documents, it's not as easy to hold on to a slip of paper as it might be for others. I'm hoping that at some point, Apple adds a big, red warning to the setup process which reads something like:

"In the event that your Apple ID is locked due to a detected security risk, your Recovery key will be necessary to regaining access to your account; knowing your password and/or having access to any of your trusted devices will no longer be enough."

I really do appreciate how seriously Apple takes its security, but I think that there is still room for improvement. This should start with more clearly and fully stating the conditions of its security measures, as well as having its customer support be more educated on these conditions (they themselves stated that they had never been trained on issues revolving around two-step verification). Protecting someone's private information is important, but so too is making every possible effort to ensure that customers can't easily loose access to all the content and services that they have spent much time and money building up and using.

As stated above, I'm still trying to get a hold of the Apple representative who initially assisted me, so if I have any additional updates, I'll be sure to reply to this thread. I hope that anyone who is going through the same issue, or is simply curious, finds this information to be useful.

Hi,

have you had any movement on your issue??  i'm in kinda the same boat and am waiting on Apple to call me back this afternoon re my issue - I have a feeling they are going to say they can't help me.

I'd really like to access my account again, particularly my email

Thanks for your note. I gave up. There is no problem on my MacBook Pro. The keychain can be accessed, no error messages and the same password that I used on the imac works. I'm just not going to use it. I turn down requests to save login info And keep a log myself. I'm terrified to switch to mavericks. I have an old version of iPhoto and will probably lose all the photos. i give up. Good luck!  Please keep us posted m

Hey jaci25,

Sorry about not responding sooner. I'm still getting used to this new Apple ID!

I'm sure that you've heard back from Apple by now, and if things went as "well" for you as they did for me, it would seem like we are both locked out of our accounts permanently.

I'm actually finally closing the book on this case, as I just heard back from the customer relations representative who I contacted in one final effort to see if there was any work-around that could be leveraged from Apple's lack of clarity in detailing this scenario. Unfortunately, despite her effort, she was unable to to find a solution (as expected). So, it would seem like I've exhausted the last possible venue for support from Apple. Incase anyone is wondering how far exactly my case was escalated, after contacting Apple Care multiple times, an "On Site Engineer" was eventually asked the question of whether or not it is possible to lift the DS Lockout, to which he replied "No".

An extremely disappointing end to a very frustrating and saddening case. Literally hundreds of dollars worth of content, files, and my primary email address, simply inaccessible. Thankfully, I had most of the content stored locally on my computers, but besides my music, none of my other content can be transferred or redeemed.

However, there was a bit of good news, which I'd like to share with you and anybody else who might stumble across this issue:

*** (IF YOUR IOS DEVICE IS BRICKED DUE TO A FORCED (DFU MODE) RESET WHILE FIND MY IPHONE WAS ACTIVE, READ THIS) ***

If you have an iOS (7) device associated with your locked Apple ID, and have Find My iPhone active on it, you will find that you are unable to log out of iCloud to set up a new account, or more drastically, are unable to reset the device. If you force a reset through DFU mode, you will then find that your device is essentially bricked, as it asks for your defunct iCloud password to verify the device before setup can be completed. When I took it into the Apple Store for the first time, I was told that there was nothing that could be done -- they have a standing policy that prevents iOS devices (even under warranty) from being swapped out if not cleared of their verification. This is not true. Ask to speak to a manager and explain the issue. Though Apple does not like to do it, they DO have the ability to remove the verification prompt PROVIDED you have a proof of purchase as well and as long as the device wasn't placed in Lost Mode (which it won't be unless you did it for some reason prior to getting locked out of your account). When I thought I was about to lose an additional $300 dollars as well as my primary phone, I was slight shy of irate, but thankfully, this much seems to be solvable.

I'm extremely sorry for your loss, as I can completely relate. My hope is that as this issue continues to pop up for other users, as it undoubtably will, Apple will recognize, at the very least, that their lack of clarity regarding DS Lockouts and Apple ID's is costing customers greatly, and possibly offer up a solution. Despite being seemingly impossible to fix now, the only way to make this issue known is for others with it to contact Apple and tell them. So, if you've been afflicted with the same thing, I urge you to contact Apple and make it known, as EVERY SINGLE representative I spoke to along the way told me they "never heard of this situation before."

I may respond to the customer relations representative I've been working with one more time, but as of now, it does seem impossible for Apple to solve this issue. If anything changes, I will be sure to post another comment.

Thanks for documenting this.  I'm in the same hellish loop and it looks like I am also out of luck.  Can't reset my password because I lost my recovery key and to get a new key I have to login to my apple ID, which I can't because it's disabled and can't be enabled without changing the password.  Wish I had never turned on 2FA, what a disaster.  I've lost hundreds of songs and apps and dozens of movies.  The Apple support I have worked with says they are able to change the Apple ID my devices are associated with so that they won't be bricks, but I have yet to start that process of having the apple ID switched.  Very frustrating to know that even with two pieces of ID I still can't get into my account because of this specific scenario.

I FOUND THE FIX I AM YOUR SAVIOR ALL HAIL KING ISAIAH SAVIOR OF OUR ICLOUD PICS

1. Visit https://appleid.apple.com and sign in.

2. Go to "Password and Security"

3. Click "Replace Lost Key"

4. Print out your new key.

5. Use the new key to reset your iCloud password.

6. Tell me about how I saved your life.

The part you are missing is that the account is disabled and you cannot login to your apple ID.  When you have 2-step verification enabled, once the account gets disabled, the only way to re-enable it is to change your password.  If you don't have your key you can't change your password.  There is no 8 hour (or one rep even told me 24 hour - nope) lock-out until you can login again.  You are effectively screwed.  Lose your key and your account gets disabled from too many password attempts and you are SOL.

Did you actually try to log in? I got the error on my phone but was still able to log in from appleid.apple.com

Yes, repeatedly for over 24 hours and each time returned with a message that says your account has been disabled for security purposes, go to iForgot.apple.com to reset your password.  Go to iForgot and it asks for key.  Lost your key?  Go to this link (your steps provided above).  Go to Manage Apple ID > Account is disabled.  Loop loop loop.  Talked to Apple support for over 4 hours, nothing they can go with 2FA enabled.  So don't lose your key because if someone tries to guess your password or make a purchase on your account too many times and your account gets locked, then you will lose access to your account permanently if you don't have your recovery key.  Does not matter if you know your password and you have a trusted device. 

Exact same issue for me, can see this happening to a lot of users.

Apple's 2 step is flawed. No other company codes their system this way.

I asked the question of

- Can you tell me if the account was hacked or the logins were from an unrecognized device before it got locked?

- If you can give me a list of 50 questions about the account and I get all 50 correct, can you help me?

- It tells you to have 2 of your 3 things, of course I have these, but there is no opportunity to use the password since it's locked.

So it's really simple, people can cause mass havoc to Apple and it's userbase... people trying people's passwords for any account 3 times wrong. And if the person has 2 step security on AND not saved his account key, which is highly likely....  their account is gone forever.

Seriously flawed!

What I don't understand is WHY can't Apple fix this?

It's THEIR servers, THEIR systems; they should be able to do an override once they prove that you are, in fact, you, maybe even in person at the Apple Store with an upper level company security representative on the phone.

It's absurd that the company can't re-enable access for one of its own customers. If I, as a sysadmin, set up a system for my employer where I can't re-enable someoene's account access, I'd likely be fired!

Something is really iffy here. Apple NEEDS to implement a process for resolving this situation as it results in the customer being denied access to products they purchased!

Well.....  Over a year later, and this is still an issue.  My problem is exactly the same as the OP.  I did speak to an Apple rep this morning, and it was still "We can't do anything for you on our end."

I had just gotten my head around that I would simply have to create a new AppleID, and lose 8 years of purchased movies, songs, books and apps.  Created my new ID, went to reset my phone to use the new ID and ran smack into the reality that I couldn't sign out of iCloud and thus couldn't reset my phone.  My phone still works as a phone, but is effectively excluded from any app updates or new purchases.

The Apple Two Factor Authentication is truly a disaster.  Oh sure I should blame myself for losing my recovery key, but I prefer to blame Jennifer Lawrence for snapping nudies of herself.

Since 1) I've lost all of my purchased content, and 2) I would need to buy a new iPhone to be able to use my new AppleID,  seems like a good time to leave Apple all together.  What a Charlie Foxtrot!

I wonder.....  does Apple support even read these forums?

Well, I waited 12 hours, and tried again... unfortunately I simply confirmed what Warrior231 already shared and I feared.   My account is caught in an indefinite lock.  I've lost all of my iTunes purchases, worse I now have an iphone and three ipads that I cannot disconnect from the now locked account itunes account.  So, even though I followed the support reps instruction of just setting up a new account, I have no ability to get my devices on this new account.

I know that I should have been more careful with my recovery key, but good job Apple setting up a system without any method of intervention on your part.

Time to make a clean break from Apple.

最後更新：2017-09-12 15:41:49

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