This morning when I opened my iPad I got a dialog saying I needed to log in to my Apple account to continue using my Apple ID. So I entered my password (which is a bunch of random characters stored in 1Password) and it tells me my account is locked and I need to reset my password. So I go to iforgot.apple.com and reset my password via email. So far, so good.
Now when I try to log in to my Apple ID, it’s asking my security questions. I set this account up way before 1Password existed and I forgot security questions were even part of the Apple ID so I never put the answers in it. Apparently I forgot exactly how I worded the answers and now I can’t get in to my Apple ID account.
Every path through Apple support brings me to a page to reset my security questions. When I try I get “Cannot Reset Security Questions.
We don’t have sufficient information to reset your security questions.”
I figured if anyone knows how to fix this it would be someone in the community. Any ideas?
Apparently I’m out of luck as far as the security questions. The support person said there’s no way to reset them or change my Apple ID to two-factor authentication. I have two Apple IDs, one that I log in to on my devices and one for iTunes and App Store. This is the iTunes/App Store ID. Hopefully I’m ok as long as I never lose my password, but if I do I’ll lose access to all my purchases forever.
The thing that irks me is that the support person said Apple has no control over this when Apple in fact has 100% control over this.
So this is a good reason to make sure to switch to two-factor authentication on any Apple ID if one hasn’t already. It’s also a good reason to be a famous Apple blogger. If this happened to Stephen Hackett, John Siracusa, or Jim Dalrymple I’m sure it would get resolved.
Sorry Apple Support couldn’t help. I can’t quite tell from your description, but if you have no access to the account at all, it might be worth trying to answer the security questions a few times to see if you can come up with the correct answers.
If you do have some access, you might try turning on Family Sharing between the accounts, since that will let you share the purchases.
Did you speak with standard Apple support or the Account Security team? I’m currently trying to regain access to an old iTools mac.com email address (!) and the last message I received from Apple support was that I specifically need to contact the Account Security team. I’ve not had a chance to do so yet, but they sent me a link to a support article which gives instructions on how to contact Account Security. Might be worth finding the number in your area and trying them. They could know more about this issue than the standard support people:
Thanks, @ace and @jzw for the suggestions. I tried that support link and it didn’t lead to contact with a human, just back to the message that said my security questions couldn’t be reset.
However, good news from a completely unexpected avenue! I updated my iPad to iOS 14.4.2 this morning. When I started it up, it made me sign into my Apple ID account (the iTunes/App Store one, not the Device one). After I did, it gave me the option of turning on two-factor authentication! I enabled it and the security questions no longer apply. I once again have full access to my account at appleid.apple.com. So the support person who told me it was impossible to ever enable 2FA was misinformed. What a relief!
I think that everyone who has not already done so should also go into their Apple ID security settings and add a second recovery phone number for somebody that they trust (a spouse or partner, a child, etc.), especially if you have only one trusted device that uses that Apple ID. I have read multiple people who have had to log in to an Apple ID for the first time on a new device (for example, if their phone was lost or broken and they bought a new one) and did not have a trusted device that they could send the 2FA code to. With a trusted phone number, they can direct a text or automated phone call with a two factor code.
Even if you have another trusted device like a Mac or iPad, this may be important if you are traveling without an extra device and your phone is broken or lost or stolen.
I’m an Apple consultant, and in my experience there’s usually a solution and I often don’t take no, especially the first no, for a final answer. Sometimes escalating the case or calling back again helps. But glad for the happy ending!
