When you have two-step verification for your Apple ID, you’ll always need at least two of the following to sign in:
- Your Apple ID password
- Access to one of your trusted devices
- Your Recovery Key
Question one: What if you forgot your Apple ID password?
Go to iforgot.apple.com to reset your password. You’ll need to provide your Recovery Key and be able to receive a temporary verification code on one of your trusted devices.
Question two: What if you lost the trusted device or phone number associated with your Apple ID?
As long as you still have your Recovery Key and remember your Apple ID password, you can sign in and add a new trusted device or phone number to your account. You can also remove any devices you may have lost, sold, or given away.
- Go to your Apple ID account page and enter your Apple ID and password.
- On the Verify Your Identity screen, select “Can’t access your trusted devices?”
- In the pop-up window, enter your Recovery Key.
- Go to the Security section and click Edit.
Question three: What If you lost your Recovery Key?
As long as you remember your Apple ID password and still have access to one of your trusted devices, you can sign in and create a new Recovery Key.
- Go to your Apple ID account page.
- Sign in with your password and trusted device.
- In the Security section, click Edit > Replace Lost Key.
Question four: What if you lost two or more of the required sign-in items?
As noted above, two-step verification requires at least two of the items below to sign in successfully:
- Your Apple ID password
- Access to one of your trusted devices
- Your Recovery Key
Note: If you’ve permanently lost any two of these items, you can’t sign in or regain access to your account. You’ll need to create a new Apple ID. You can create a new one from the Apple ID site.
Also read: Is it possible to download iCloud backup to my computer without an iOS device?