My mom dropped her phone on the highway, and it's completely shattered but still signed into iCloud. She's trying to get a new phone, but she forgot her iCloud password and started the account recovery process. The first day she initiated recovery, she was told she'd receive further information the next day. However, the follow-up email said she would get a call about recovery in a week, but that call never came. The main concern is retrieving her photos. Since the phone has a passcode, I can't access her iCloud photos from my Mac. The only other device linked is her Apple Watch. What can we do to resolve this issue? We've spoken with Apple support multiple times, but they haven't been helpful.
1 Answer
If the phone number linked to her account hasn't changed, and you know the passcode for the shattered phone, try using the Apple Support app on your own iPhone. Tap on Reset Password, then Help Someone Else, and enter her Apple ID email and phone number. Choose the option saying you can’t access trusted devices. You should be able to send a code to her phone number, and if you enter that code into the app, you can reset her password. Just keep in mind, if her account is already in recovery, this might not work, but it's worth a shot!
I got a message saying account recovery is in progress.