I forgot my password for my old iPhone, and now my account is permanently locked. I've been struggling with this issue for about a year. I reached out to Apple Support twice last year, but it was frustrating. The first advisor insisted on resetting my password, but it remained locked and unusable. She suggested creating a new Apple ID, but all my emails are tied to the old account, so that didn't work either. I even made a new email just for this, but I got rejected again because my phone number is linked to the locked account.
During my second call, I spoke with another advisor who directed me to a review request on Apple's site, but I couldn't submit it because my account is still locked. I put it aside for a while until last week when I saw an option to request a review of my Apple ID, which I hadn't seen before. Unfortunately, my request was denied the next day.
I've had that Apple ID for over ten years, filled with music and childhood pictures, and I'm pretty upset about it. I've used Android devices for the past six years, but I want access to my Apple ID to log into my mom's iPad and use Procreate, as well as to retrieve my music and photos. Apple should not lock users out of their own accounts and then offer no real assistance. It's incredibly frustrating!
2 Answers
It sounds like your account was locked due to multiple failed login attempts or something similar. Typically, accounts might get locked if they're suspected of breaking terms of service, which is really frustrating for genuine users. You've done all the right things by contacting support, but unfortunately, they're pretty strict about such issues.
Honestly, if you're really struggling to get your Apple ID back, switching to Android might be worth considering. iPhones can be great, but the account lockout system seems really outdated. You've already got an Android, so that might be a more user-friendly option for you now!
I hear you, but I still want access to my old account and its stuff. Android's cool, but I've built up so much with Apple.
I get that, but Apple really needs to improve their recovery process. It's ridiculous when they've been so unhelpful!