To recover iCloud account access, reset your Apple Account password on a trusted device or follow Apple’s password recovery prompts. Your iCloud account uses your Apple Account, formerly called Apple ID. If you know your password but cannot receive a verification code, use the verification options below.
Resetting your main account password revokes existing app-specific passwords, so affected third-party apps will need replacement credentials afterward. Sign in only through Apple’s own app or website, and never share a code, password, or remote access with someone who contacts you.
The short version
- Already signed in: Reset your password through the security settings on your trusted Apple device.
- No trusted device: Start through Apple’s recovery website or the Apple Support app on a compatible borrowed device.
- Missing verification code: Request a trusted-device notification, text message, or automated call.
- Recovery already configured: Follow the prompts for your existing recovery contact, recovery key, or registered security key.
- Waiting period: Follow Apple’s device-use instructions because activity on other signed-in devices can cancel recovery.
| Route | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Trusted iPhone, iPad, Watch, or Vision Pro | Already signed in with two-factor authentication |
| Trusted Mac | Already signed in on current macOS |
| Setup or app sign-in prompts | Recovery offered during sign-in |
| Safari recovery website | iOS 17 or later or macOS 27 or later |
| Borrowed-device Support app | A compatible device is available |
| Support app download | The borrowed device needs the app |
| Requested recovery factors | Apple asks for additional verification |
| Account recovery waiting period | Immediate reset fails and your account is eligible |
| Trusted-device verification code | You know your password |
| Text or phone verification code | You can access a trusted number |
| Recovery without trusted verification | Your trusted devices and numbers are inaccessible |
| Recovery-contact code | You previously configured a contact |
| Nearby recovery contact | Both participants use the latest iOS |
| Saved recovery key | You previously enabled a recovery key |
| Recovery-key removal | You retain access to security settings |
| Registered physical security key | Your account already uses security keys |
| Nearby trusted device for security keys | Your physical key is inaccessible |
| Physical security-key removal | You retain sufficient trusted access |
| Parent or guardian reset | A Child Account belongs to your Family Sharing group |
| Account website password change | You can still authenticate |
| Account identifier lookup | You forgot your sign-in email or number |
| Locked or inactive account request | Apple displays an account-status alert |
| Media & Purchases reactivation | That service is disabled |
| Compromised account recovery | You suspect unauthorized access |
| Encrypted iCloud data recovery | You use Advanced Data Protection |
| Replacement app-specific password | A third-party app lost access after your reset |
| Connection and credential checks | iCloud access still fails |
| Employer account reset | Your employer manages the account |
| School account reset | Your school manages the account |
| Pending deletion cancellation | Deletion is processing and you have its access code |
Find your account email or phone number
If you forgot your sign-in identifier, check a device where you are already signed in. On iPhone or iPad, open Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security. On Mac, open the Apple menu > System Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security.
An already-signed-in iCloud for Windows installation shows your identifier beneath your name. You can also check signed-in App Store, FaceTime, or Messages sessions, or a remembered sign-in at account.apple.com. A family member’s Family Sharing settings and Apple receipt, billing, repair, or support emails may help you find it. Any email address or phone number associated with your account can be used to sign in.
Reset your password on a trusted device
On an already-signed-in trusted iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro using two-factor authentication, open Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security > Change Password. Complete the authentication and password prompts. These paths use current device software.
On an already-signed-in trusted Mac running current macOS, choose the Apple menu > System Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security > Change Password. Enter your Mac login password, then complete the password-change prompts.
Removing other devices ends their signed-in access to your account. If offered, tap Remove Other Devices, or tap Keep All Devices Signed In to retain those sessions. Stolen Device Protection can impose a security delay during the password change; follow the on-device instructions if that happens.
Start recovery without your trusted device
At a Settings or App Store sign-in prompt, select Forgot password? and follow the recovery instructions. During device setup, the option can instead read Forgot password or don’t have an Apple Account?. Apple directs you to an available trusted-device, verification, or waiting-period route.
For browser recovery, open Apple’s password recovery website in Safari on iOS 17 or later or macOS 27 or later. Follow the account-identification and recovery prompts. Apple may transfer the password reset to a trusted device.
You can also start on a compatible borrowed Apple device, including one available at an Apple Store. Open the Support app, then choose Support Tools > Reset Password > Help Someone Else. Follow the prompts for your account; Apple says the information you enter is not retained on the borrowed device.
If you need the app, get it from the official Apple Support download page. The listing requires iOS 26.0 or later, iPadOS 26.0 or later, or visionOS 2.0 or later, and app and feature availability vary by region. If the borrowed device cannot use the app, start through a supported sign-in prompt or Safari route instead.
Depending on your account, recovery may request trusted-number verification, access to your account email, recovery-contact assistance, or a previously configured key. Apple can also request the associated credit card’s CVV within its recovery flow. If card verification fails, select Don't have access to this card and continue with the offered prompts.
Get past a missing verification code
If you know your password and use two-factor authentication, start signing in on the new device or browser. On a trusted Apple device, open the resulting sign-in notification and choose Allow, then enter the displayed six-digit code on the device requesting access. Automatic codes on Apple Watch require watchOS 6 or later.
To receive a text or automated call instead, select Didn’t Get a Code? on the verification screen. Choose delivery to a trusted phone number, then enter the received code. Check filtered messages if the text appears to be missing.
On iPhone, open Settings > Apps > Messages to check the relevant notification controls. Under Unknown Senders, open Allow Notifications > Time Sensitive to manage those notifications.
If you cannot access your trusted devices, select Can’t get to your devices?, then choose Can’t use [phone number]. Complete the offered recovery process if none of your trusted numbers is accessible. If access is only temporarily unavailable, Apple recommends waiting until you can use the trusted device or number again.
Use your existing recovery contact
Your recovery contact must have been configured before you lost access. Start account recovery and complete the initial identity prompts, then ask your contact for assistance. Their device needs iOS 15, iPadOS 15, or macOS Monterey 12 or later; the following paths use current menus.
Ask your contact to open Settings on iPhone or iPad, or the Apple menu > System Settings on Mac. They then select [their name] > Sign-In & Security > Recovery Contacts > Account Recovery For > [your name] > Get Recovery Code. Enter their six-digit code on your own device and complete the password reset.
If both of you use the latest iOS, start recovery near your existing contact. When their iPhone displays the assistance prompt, they tap Help [person’s name] and hold their iPhone over the animation on yours. If scanning fails, they tap Can’t Scan and use the code shown on your device for verification.
Recover access with your saved key
If you previously enabled a 28-character recovery key, enter it and the verification code delivered to your trusted phone number when recovery requests them. This route requires an Apple device; the feature requires iOS 14, iPadOS 14, or macOS Big Sur or later. Enabling a recovery key disables standard waiting-period recovery, and losing the required recovery access can permanently lock you out.
A previously registered physical security key uses a separate process. On iOS 27, open Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security. If you aren’t already signed in to your Apple Account on your iPhone, first sign in using your paired security key, then tap Change Password. When requested, insert the registered key, or hold an NFC key near the top of your iPhone.
For an account lock on iOS 27, choose Unlock Account in the same security section and complete verification with your registered key. If necessary, change your password afterward and tap Done.
If your physical key is inaccessible, bring an iPhone or iPad already signed in to your account near the device where you are signing in. Follow the instructions on both devices. Security-key support requires iOS or iPadOS 16.3 or later, or macOS Ventura 13.2 or later; iCloud for Windows requires version 15 or later.
Security keys are not available for Child Accounts or Managed Apple Accounts. If you lose every trusted device and registered security key, you can be permanently locked out.
Complete the account recovery waiting period
If an immediate reset fails and your account is eligible, submit an account recovery request through Apple’s password recovery flow. Follow the confirmation and completion instructions Apple provides. Apple Support cannot shorten the waiting period, and accounts with a recovery key enabled cannot use this standard process.
For recovery started on the web, turn off your Apple devices during the wait. If you started recovery on a device running iOS 17, iPadOS 17, or macOS 27 or later, Apple permits continued use of that initiating device. Activity on other signed-in devices can cancel recovery.
Check progress at Apple’s password recovery website using the same information you originally submitted. Follow Apple’s completion email, text, or automated call. If the completion call or text does not arrive, visit Apple’s recovery completion page after the stated time.
Fix a locked or compromised account
For a security-related account lock, reset your password using the appropriate route above. If the alert says your account is locked or inactive, tap Request Access, or submit the access request through Apple’s password recovery website. Apple can deny an access request.
If someone else changed your password, start with the password-reset process and use Apple’s recovery website when an immediate reset fails. After regaining access, sign in at account.apple.com, correct unfamiliar account information, and inspect Devices for unrecognized hardware. Verify control of your associated email accounts and phone numbers with their providers. If the recovery prompts cannot resolve your account issue, continue through Apple Support.
Restore iCloud services after signing in
After a password reset, supply your updated credentials to affected iCloud services. If connection problems continue, check Apple System Status for an iCloud outage and confirm you are using the intended account. When access fails only over cellular on iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Cellular or Mobile Data and ensure connectivity is enabled.
Keep Wi-Fi and power connected if a backup restoration is still running. With Advanced Data Protection, account sign-in alone does not automatically make encrypted iCloud data available on a new device or the web. If your device reports that some iCloud data is not syncing, follow its recovery prompts using your previously configured recovery contact or recovery key. Your recovery contact can supply the requested code.
If you use two-factor authentication, compatible third-party mail, contact, or calendar apps may need replacement app-specific passwords after your main password reset. Once you can authenticate at account.apple.com, open Sign-In and Security > App-Specific Passwords, select Generate an app-specific password, and complete the prompts. Enter the generated credential in the affected app’s password field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a parent reset a child’s Apple Account password?
Yes, if you are the parent or guardian of a Child Account in your Family Sharing group. On your current iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro, open Settings > Family, select the child’s account, then choose Change [child’s Name] Password and complete the prompts. If Screen Time is enabled for the child, the password action may instead be under Personal Information.
Can you recover an account you asked Apple to delete?
If deletion is still processing, contact Apple Support, provide the unique alphanumeric access code issued with the request, and ask to cancel deletion. Once deletion finishes, Apple cannot reopen the account or restore its data.
What should you do about a disabled Media & Purchases alert?
Tap Continue in the alert to start the reactivation route. Disabled Media & Purchases access is a separate service issue, so reactivating it does not itself recover your iCloud credentials.
Can you change your password on Apple’s account website?
Yes, if you can still authenticate at account.apple.com, open Sign-In and Security > Password and complete the password-change flow. Apple redirects you to a trusted device when possible. You still need to complete the website’s sign-in verification.
How can you restore standard recovery after enabling a recovery key?
Removing your recovery key ends its use as your recovery method and restores eligibility for standard account recovery. While you still have sufficient account access, open Settings, or System Settings on Mac, then select [your name] > Sign-in & Security > Recovery Key and select Remove Recovery Key. This prepares your account for future recovery and requires access to those settings.
Can you return from physical security keys to verification codes?
Removing all registered security keys ends their use for account verification and returns your account to verification-code authentication. While you retain sufficient trusted access, on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 27 or iPadOS 27, open Settings, then select [your name] > Sign-In & Security > Security Keys, tap Remove All Keys, then tap Remove. On a Mac running macOS 27, open System Settings, select [your name] > Sign-In & Security > Two-Factor Authentication, go to Security Keys and click Add, then click Remove All Keys and Remove.
Who resets an Apple Account supplied by your employer?
For a Managed Apple Account supplied by your employer, contact an administrator permitted to manage accounts. Your organization resets the password through Apple Business or its connected identity provider. A suspected-fraud lock requires the Organization Administrator to contact Apple.
How do you recover a school Managed Apple Account?
Ask your school’s authorized staff for a password reset; instructors can reset student passwords within their permissions. In Apple School Manager, the authorized operator opens Users, selects your account, selects Reset Password, and chooses how to deliver the temporary sign-in information. Sign in with that information and create a replacement password.