I recently bought my first Mac after years of using PCs and Linux systems. When I tried setting it up, I realized I may have created an Apple account nearly 20 years ago, possibly when I used iTunes or helped a relative with an Apple device. I entered my old email address and phone number, successfully verified the codes, and was still told that account recovery could take about a week.
There is probably nothing important in the old account beyond an ancient music library, but I dislike the idea of creating a second email address just to get started. Why does recovering an old account take so long, especially when I am signing in on a brand-new Mac? Is this kind of delay normal, and is there any practical reason not to create a new account instead?
3 Answers
You do not really need to recover the old account just because it may exist. Set up a new one, record the login details in a password manager, and move on. It is frustrating, but the same protection that slows you down now could help protect your account later.
This is not something every Apple customer routinely deals with; it is specific to recovering an account whose credentials have been inactive or forgotten for a long time. The computer being new and expensive does not prove ownership of the account, so the recovery system cannot simply approve it based on the device purchase. If the account has nothing valuable attached to it, starting fresh is the practical answer.
The delay is mainly a security feature. If someone gains access to your email or phone, Apple does not want them taking over an old account immediately. Account recovery can involve a waiting period, and repeatedly guessing or restarting the process may make things take longer. If the old account only has an old playlist and no purchases or data you need, creating a new account is probably the simplest option.
The waiting period is generally associated with stronger account security and recovery protections. Even if the account is old and mostly empty, the system cannot safely assume that from the information available.