Hello, i recently broke my iPhone and completely messed up the screen. Before i got it fixed, it kept ghost tapping the screen and typing in passwords. It is now completely disabled. I have no backup because i don't have enough cloud space to do so. I can't connect to iTunes because when i try to log in on my computer, it needs the verification of my disabled device. My disabled device is my only trusted device because i don't have many apple products. I cannot do any task that involves my apple ID on my mac and my phone is stuck in disabled mode. I understand this is partly my fault, but it's somewhat frustrating that i know all of my passwords and still cannot get into my devices and might have to wipe them. I would like to avoid a wipe at ALL costs if possible. If you can help, that would be greatly appreciated.
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Two-Factor Verification Mishap
- Thread starter MasMunz
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If you borrow a friend’s phone and swap sim cards, you will be able to send an SMS verification code to your phone number and log into your iCloud account. As for the iPhone being disabled, i’m not sure there’s any way around that short of wiping it.
I know you said that you're on Two-Factor, but are you sure? If you're on Two-Step, you can still log into your iCloud by using the verification code that you got when you signed up for 2-step.
This. If you have the passcode (and are in fact on two-factor authentication), you can log in and get back to normal I think. Without it, you're SOL. I discovered this when my phone kept telling me to sign into iCloud, and insisted my password was wrong. Found the printout in my closet thank goodness.
For future reference, a "trusted device" does not have to be an Apple product. It would behoove you to consider adding other phone numbers you have access to, so that you don't find yourself in a situation like this again.
edited to add: I used the wrong terminology when speaking of trusted number, which can be added to the appleID site.
edited to add: I used the wrong terminology when speaking of trusted number, which can be added to the appleID site.
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I believe at least one verified sms number is required to enable two-step/factor in the first place. OP should be able to regain access by inserting his sim into another phone.
Great point. Even greater when your phone is in another room and your wife is next to you and she has her phone. "Hun? I'm gunna send you a code.... can you read it off to me?"
<cough>
Incorrect. Straight from Apple: "A trusted device is an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch with iOS 9 and later, or Mac with OS X El Capitan and later that you've already signed in to using two-factor authentication. It’s a device we know is yours and that can be used to verify your identity by displaying a verification code from Apple when you sign in on a different device or browser."
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204915
A trusted phone number, however, could be with any type of phone. If all fails, go to appleid.apple.com and select "Forgot Apple ID or password". You'd have to go into account recovery, which can take anywhere from several days to several weeks to regain access. (Being able to give information like any credit card on file and confirm account recovery in an email sent to the ID's email should make it go much faster.)
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You are correct. I used the wrong terminology while talking about the trusted number. I have several trusted numbers just for this purpose.