The Apple or iCloud account is the vault that protects all our digital data on Apple devices, in an encrypted format. When we forget its password (or device passcode), iCloud data recovery service can help us gain access to it again. Still, it is important to act first, by designating a recovery contact. Here’s a guide on how to set up a Recovery Account if you forgot your Apple ID Account credentials.
How to Set up a Recovery Account if You Forgot Your Apple ID Account
As of iOS 15 or later, there are various standard ways to regain access to a forgotten, lost, or locked Apple ID account. In general, the method of choice is to recover from another device that is considered safe and has already been accessed. Therefore, if you also have a Mac or an iPad configured with the same iCloud account, you will always be sure of solving the case within a few minutes.
3 Ways to Recover Your Account
There are 3 recovery methods for your Apple account:
- iCloud data recovery service
- Recovery Contact
- Recovery key
It is really important never to forget your Apple ID and in case of problems, it would always be good practice to set up a recovery key or contact in time.
The first is a sort of super password that allows you to recover full access to your Apple account, in case of difficulty remembering your credentials. However, it is essential to note that if you lose your recovery key and are unable to log in from other secure devices, Apple will not be able to restore access to your account. In other words, if you create the recovery key and forget it, your Apple ID will be lost forever.
iCloud Data Recovery
iCloud Data Recovery is an automated service that can help you view certain data including photos, notes, memos, and device backups on iCloud.com without first requiring access from trusted Apple devices. However, with this level of protection, Apple always has access to your data for recovery purposes, and as usual, sensitive and health information, passwords, and keychains remain excluded. In other words, it’s far from optimal.
The best option is undoubtedly the designation of a Recovery Contact, but the catch is that the operation must be done before losing access to your iCloud account. Therefore, the advice is to do it now – while reading these words – and not to put it off any longer, especially since it takes literally 10 seconds.
When you specify one or more recovery accounts, you are basically asking someone you trust to help you reset your password and regain access to your iCloud account if you ever forget your password. And also to be clear, the feature does not allow third parties to access your data. Simply, trusted people would be one more option (in addition to the old telephone number and other devices considered safe) to receive a code which will then be used for actual access to the account. That’s all.
Set up a Recovery Account
A recovery contact is a trusted person like a family member, friend, or significant other who can get an account password recovery code for us when we are having trouble. If you forget or lose your iCloud password, you can ask your recovery contact to help you regain access to your Apple ID.
To set up a recovery contact, after upgrading to iOS 15 or later, just follow the steps below:
- Open Settings app.
- Tap [First Name and Last Name] at the top to enter iCloud settings.
- Then choose Password and Security > Account Recovery.
- Tap Add recovery contact and follow the onscreen instructions. The designated person must be at least 14 years old and own and use an Apple device.
If you have already set In Family, the system will automatically suggest some family members, but it’s not a constraint, since you can add anyone, as long as they have at least one device updated to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, or macOS 12 Monterey or later.
Important: In order for the procedure to go through, it is essential that all devices linked by the same iCloud account are updated to the latest version of iOS. Otherwise, you will have to remove them from the list of devices that you find at the bottom of Settings > [Name Surname].
Use Recovery Contact
If in the future you forget your iCloud password or for some reason, you can’t access your Apple ID, you have one more option: to send a 6-digit code to your recovery contact. If desired, and as mentioned, it is possible to indicate multiple recovery contacts but it is important to underline that this function has nothing to do with the Digital Legacy. The latter is in fact the iOS 15 feature that allows you to indicate an “heir contact” who can access our account in the event of death.
That’s all there is to know about how to set up a Recovery Account if you forgot your Apple ID Account credentials. In the meantime, do not forget to check out our other guides here: Solution for Apple ID Verification Failed Error, and Remove or Unlink Apple Watch from Apple ID Account.