Apple ID cannot be used to unlock

Apple ID cannot be used to unlock

Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of security for your Apple ID designed to make sure that you are the only person who can access your account, even if someone knows your password.

Causes of “Your Apple ID has been locked for security reasons” message

For starters, it’s important to know that the Apple ID lock message appears after an incorrect password is entered during authorization or the system gets the wrong answers to the control questions. That is, the culprit of access restriction can be not only the iPhone or iPad owner himself, who repeatedly missed typing the access code or forgot the data to enter, but also an unauthorized user who tried to guess the password to his Apple ID account.

If mistakes are made while answering security questions, you’ll receive an email notification, but if an incorrect password is entered, the system will simply lock your account. If an intruder tries to gain access, he needs to know the email address and code to achieve his goal. Sometimes it happens that unscrupulous relatives, friends, or lovers try to get into the account.

After a series of unsuccessful login attempts, access to your Apple ID account will be denied.

How to unlock your Apple ID account?

If you use two-factor authentication, you can use a trusted phone number to reset your password and unlock your account. A recovery key will also help, if you created it when you switched to two-factor authentication.

When an account is blocked for security reasons, quite certain notifications will appear:

• “Your Apple ID has been locked for security reasons”.
• “This Apple ID account has been disabled for security reasons.”.
• “Unable to log in because your account has been disabled for security reasons.”.
• “This Apple ID account is blocked for security reasons.”.

Click the Unlock Account link-button.

In case you have another Apple device that uses this Apple ID, a notification will be sent to it.

Click on the notification received, and then click on the Allow link button and follow the instructions on the screen.

If you do not have another device, click on “No access to Apple devices?”.

In the pop-up window that appears, click Submit Code. The verification code will be sent to the verified number you previously added to your Apple ID. Enter this code into the box.

Enter your account password. On the next screen, you can choose Unlock account (the Apple ID account will be unlocked immediately) or Unlock and change password (the Apple ID account will be unlocked after the password is changed).

If the worst happens

The former owner can go to his account and say that the phone is lost or stolen. In this case you will see an inscription on the screen like on the photo above. If the message about blocking contains the contacts of the person who blocked the phone, contact him. What happens next depends on how exactly he parted with his device and what you agree with him. If there is no contact of the ex-owner, or he is not reachable, or he flatly refuses to compromise In this case you can give the phone to some celebrity for an autograph, and then sell this autograph for a lot of money and buy a new one (unlocked) for the proceeds!). Or put it under the table leg. Or hang it on the tree as an ornament.

Seriously, you can take it for parts or try to put a circuit board from a different, “normal” phone into it. No receipts, boxes, warranty cards, etc.Д. Can’t help you get rid of Activation Lock if your device is locked via iCloud as lost or stolen. Even if you bring these documents in person. Here are some examples. Once again, if the phone is listed as lost or stolen, there’s no way around Activation Lock. No way at all. Anyone who offers such a service is a scammer.

Shared accounts

Apple is actively fighting with cheaters. A number of users purchase content: music, movies, and apps, and then give access to their own account to third parties, while receiving money for logging in. But security service can suspend the access to the personal profile of the dishonest user, having detected such activity.

Since it’s difficult to unlock an account on your iPhone 4s or any other model in this case, it is recommended not to use “public” accounts.

Recovery form

How to unlock Apple ID password? Usually such a question involves restoring the account if the user has forgotten the password from it. This is the simplest layout. Usually it has the best chance of restoring user’s profile.

First, you can resort to working with the special recovery form. Let’s consider the procedure of unlocking Apple ID on a PC.

The following steps are recommended under such circumstances:

• Open in any browser the official site of creation and recovery of the Apple password
• Click on the “Forgot password” hyperlink?”.
• Enter the e-mail address associated with your account in the window that appears.
• Click the “Next” button.
• Answer several security questions.
• Submit the recovery form for processing.

If everything has been done correctly, after a while you will receive an email from Apple Technical Support to the specified email address. There will be a link that the person can click to recover the password from the “Apple ID”. All you need to do is specify a new code and repeat it.

It is now clear how to unlock the “Apple ID. But this is only one of several possible scenarios. What other tricks exist in practice?

Why is Apple ID blocked

There are 2 main reasons why the system message says Apple ID is blocked:

Suspicious activity

Users with this problem often have the question, “What does it mean, the Apple ID record is blocked for security reasons?”. In Apple’s parlance, it indicates multiple attempts to log into the profile with the wrong credentials for authentication.

The most innocuous source of the problem is that the user forgot the login password. If you incorrectly enter the password in the authorization field many times in a row, all the services that require logging into the account are automatically blocked and the iPhone owner is offered to restore access.

The following changes can provoke suspicion of the account:

• Frequent changes of identity. This is a typical phenomenon for “public profiles” users.
• Frequent refunds for any apps on the App Store.
• Using different cards (whether debit or credit) to pay for goods. It is not so much using different cards for the same person that raises suspicion, as attaching bank cards with different personal information.
• Multiple attempts to log into an account with an incorrect password.
• Frequent sending of data to restore the account.
• Multiple attempts to enter an answer to a security question.

Hacking Apple ID

If there are no such problems, but you still don’t understand why your Apple ID keeps getting locked, it’s probably because you’ve tried to hack your account. Apple is constantly fighting intruders and working on new algorithms to protect users, but there is always a clever hacker who finds a security hole.

The service itself has a bot programmer, with conventionally artificial intelligence, that captures uncharacteristic behavior. It is able to block the account based on a number of characteristics that are not disclosed by the company for an understandable reason. Also the function to lock the Apple ID is available to the owner himself. User receives an email informing him about the login to the profile and an additional footnote: if the action was performed by a malefactor, not the rightful owner of the account, then you must ask for help.

After hacking the account, the hacker will have access to card data, so it is important to respond to any messages from the service in a timely manner.

If you suspect the account has been compromised, it is better to immediately reset the password, and then contact technical support.

Unlock via iTunes

Itunes program is an indispensable assistant to the owner of Apple products. It is not limited to simple file management, the application helps with operating platform errors, hangs and battery problems. In the case of a forgotten password, this program will also be the main tool to solve the problem. The advantage of using the program is that the instructions are very simple, so you can use this method at home, without going to the service center. And don’t be afraid of mistakes, because Apple smartphone manufacturers have made provisions for rolling back the device to a restore point or factory condition.

Saving user files

Let’s talk about how to unlock iPhone with iTunes and save user information. If the screen is locked, the Hard Reset and a simple reboot of the device will not help, the counter will remain in place. To save the information, it is worth to use the recovery mode. Recovery Mode does not affect the files, only rolls back the smartphone to the last successful start, but the password will be reset. It is important that the smartphone is synchronized with the computer before, so that the iTunes program does not require entering a password. You won’t be able to connect your iPhone to a new computer either, since you need an unlocked smartphone to pair it.

Through a previous sync

The way to unlock the smartphone through the previous synchronization of the device with the personal computer is considered a priority, because it does not affect the files and settings of the user. To do this:

• Connect the iPhone to the PC using the cable;
• Open the iTunes app and wait for the pairing to complete. Your computer will need time to read the files;
• Select the connected device in the list and click “Synchronize”;
• Wait. The process takes from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours;
• When the pairing is complete, click the “Restore iTunes Backup Data” button;
• In the list, select the appropriate backup by date. It is recommended that you choose a recent version.

Wait for the process to complete, the screen lock will reset. The user will gain access to the device.

With a complete wipe

If you have not synchronized with your computer, or if the information is not valuable to the iPhone owner, it is worth to use the DFU mode. In this case, the phone will return to the factory state, the information will have to be restored from scratch. This will require:

• Turn off your iPhone;
• Press and hold the Power and Home buttons;
• Release the “Power” and hold the “Home” button and connect your smartphone to your PC with the cable;
• Wait until the iTunes logo appears on the iPhone display and run the software on your computer;
• The screen will show a message that the phone is connected in recovery mode, you must click on the “OK” button;
• Confirm your choice by pressing “Restore iPhone”.

As a result, the iPhone will be reset, the files will disappear, and the settings will return to their factory defaults.

FAQ

Need help? You can find the answer to your question below.

What if I forget my password??

You can reset or change the password of your trusted device when you follow these steps.

• Go to Settings [your name]. If you are using iOS 10.2 or earlier, go to the iCloud Settings menu, click on your Apple ID.
• Tap Password & Security Password.
• Enter a new password.
• Go to the iCloud Settings system.
• Select Credentials. If you are prompted to enter your Apple ID password, click Forgot your Apple ID and password and follow the instructions on the screen. You can skip the steps.
• Click Security Change Password. Before you can restore your Apple ID password, enter the password used to unlock your Mac.

What if I can’t access my trusted device or can’t get the confirmation code?

If you are logged in and you do not have a reliable convenience device that can display verification codes, you can have the code sent to your trusted phone number by text message instead or by an automated phone call. Tap the no code button on the login screen and choose to send the code to your trusted phone number. You can also get the code directly from settings to your trusted device. Learn how to get your confirmation code.

If you are using iOS 11.3 or later on your iPhone, you may not need to enter a verification code. In some cases, your trusted phone number may be verified automatically in the background on your iPhone. This is one less thing to do, and your account is still protected by two-factor authentication.

If I can’t sign in, how do I regain access to my account?

If you can’t log in, open a trusted device, reset your password, or receive confirmation codes, you can request account recovery to restore access to your account. Account recovery is an automatic process designed to get you back into your account as quickly as possible and deny access to anyone who might pretend to be you. It may take a few days or longer-depending on what specific account information you can provide to verify your identity.

I still need to remember any security questions?

No. With two-factor authentication, you don’t need to remember any security questions. We will verify your identity solely with a password and verification codes sent to trusted devices and phones. When you sign up for two-factor authentication, we keep your old security questions on file for two weeks in case you want your account back to its previous security settings. After that, they are deleted.

Can Apple support help me regain access to my account?

Apple support can answer your questions about the account recovery process, but cannot confirm your identity or speed up the process in any way.

What are the system requirements for two-factor authentication?

For best results, make sure you meet these system requirements on all the devices you use your Apple ID on:

• Iphone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 9 and later
• Mac with OS X El Capitan and iTunes 12.3 and later
• Apple watch with watchOS 2 and later
• Apple TV HD with tvOS
• Windows PC with iCloud for Windows 5 and iTunes 12.3.3 and later

Can Apple IDs created for children to use two-factor authentication?

Yes. Any Apple ID that meets basic system requirements can enroll in two-factor authentication. Learn more about Who can use two-factor authentication.

What if I don’t recognize the location shown on my sign in notification?

When you log in on a new device, you’ll get a notification of other trusted devices, which includes a map showing the approximate location of the new device. This is an approximate location based on the IP address the device is currently using, not the exact location of the device. The location shown may reflect what network you are connected to, rather than your physical location.

If you know that a person is trying to log in, but you do not recognize the location shown, you can still click Allow and continue logging in. However, if you ever see a notice that your Apple ID is being used to log in on a new device, and you do not sign, Click Do Not Allow to block the login attempt.

What if I use two-factor authentication on a device running older software?

If you’re using two-factor authentication with devices running older versions-like Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation)-you may be prompted to add your six-digit password endorsement code when you log in. Get your verification code from a trusted device running iOS 9 or higher or OS X El Capitan and later, or send it to your trusted phone number. Then enter your password, then the six-digit verification code in the Password field.

I can turn off two-factor authentication after I’ve turned it on?

If you are already using two-factor authentication, you can no longer turn it off. Certain features in recent versions of iOS and macOS require this extra layer of security, which is designed to protect your information. If you recently upgraded your account, you can do so within two weeks. Simply open your email signup confirmation and click on the link to return to your previous security settings. Keep in mind, this makes your account less secure and means you can’t use features that require a high level of security.

This is different than Apple’s current two-step verification feature?

Yes. Two-factor authentication built into iOS and macOS, tvOS, in watchOS, Apple and websites. It uses different methods to target devices and deliver confirmation codes, and offers a more streamlined user experience. You need two-factor authentication to use certain features that require increased security.