I'm having a tough time setting up an Apple ID for my new Apple TV because my old email and phone number seem to be causing issues. I've never owned an iPhone or iPad and mostly stuck to Android, but I did use iTunes and owned an iPod back in the 2000s. Now, when I try to create an Apple ID with my existing Gmail and phone number, I'm getting an error saying the email isn't available. I also tried resetting the password for my email, but it's marked as invalid. After contacting Apple support, they informed me that my email is unusable, and after some trial and error with modifying my email (like adding '+atv' to it), I can verify the email but not the phone number. They mentioned that my phone number might be linked to an old account that I can't retrieve or release. I really don't want to use a temporary phone number for my Apple TV, as I fear it could complicate things later. Is there any way to recover my phone number and email for a new Apple ID, or at least reset everything on Apple's end?
1 Answer
It sounds like your phone number is already tied to an old Apple ID. I recommend going to iforgot.apple.com and seeing if you can recover the ID using your phone number. If that doesn't work, it might be that your number is stuck in their system forever. Some people have had similar issues and went back to Apple support to ask if they could free up the number, but it's dependent on their advisors. So keep trying!
Thanks for the tip! I just tried it, but no luck with the same error. The rep I spoke to suggested the number might just be lost. It's frustrating not being able to reclaim it!