iPhone 6(S)/Plus 2 factor authentication Apple mess

[bbrks]

So people,
I finally decided to tell you the story of how Apple messed up my AppleID account.
For almost 2 months now I am not able to login to my AppleID Account, because I am not getting the verification code for 2FA. The reason I am not getting it is, because the verification code is being sent every time to my phone number, but with double country code...Why...I have no idea....
The whole thing started suddenly, about two months ago and I still have to wait for the solution.
First time this happened I have started the account recovery, but since those mo...... from Apple support were not able to help me, or at least give me the right information, I made a mistake and entered again my phone no. for the verification code. So when the time for the account recovery came, the verification code was again sent to my no. with double country code. Obviously, I have never received it.
So, I had to start the account recovery process again, But this time, I have chosen to enter a phone number of my wife and hopefully this time I will be able to receive the verification code.
If I make it, the first thing I will do will be to deactivate that 2FA forever.
And also, what is driving me crazy the most is, that from the moment I start the account recovery process, why is it that I have to wait for almost 30 days for the account recovery process to finish.
The last time I started it, it was on 26 of January and I got a mail from Apple that my account will be ready for recovery on 24th of February. This is absolutely unacceptable.

I just wanted to ask you people, is there anyone out there who had similar unfortunate experience as I am having at the moment and if anyone has any suggestion that would help me to speed up the process a bit, I would very much appreciate it.

 

[Shirasaki]

I don’t have such unfortunate and unhappy experience cause I know this 2FA thing is a total bs. I do not want to activate it and never will.
Hope you sort out this issue and permanently say good bye to this 2FA cluster*k. Good security question answer is still good enough for account security, as well as good password.

 

[Vermifuge]

Isn't this two step and not two factor? Apple has largely moved on from two step authentication and now most new devices require Two Factor.

 

[bbrks]

Check this out:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204915

And to add to my first post.....for the last 2 months, I can't login to my AppleID, can't login to iCloud, can't update any App from the App store. can't install anything.
Every time I unlock my iPhone, I am getting that idiotic pop up asking me to enter my Apple ID password

 

[Vermifuge]

Check this out:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204915

And to add to my first post.....for the last 2 months, I can't login to my AppleID, can't login to iCloud, can't update any App from the App store. can't install anything.
Every time I unlock my iPhone, I am getting that idiotic pop up asking me to enter my Apple ID password

Right. You keep saying your login code is being sent to your phone number with redundant country codes, but that's not how two factor works. Two factor is sent to and Apple Device (running iOS or macOS) where you are logged in with an iCloud account. The actual phone number is of no meaningful significance.

Two Step https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204152

Two Factor https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204915

Two factor uses a token or that is generated on the device. This is independent from the phone number as the code is trigged by your iCloud login.

 

[bbrks]

It's not independent if you choose to receive the verification code on your phone, as the only trusted device.

Please, lets not discuss what it is, I just simply asked for help.

Again, the main question is, why do I have to wait for almost a month for account recovery process to finish???

 

[Vermifuge]

It's not independent if you choose to receive the verification code on your phone, as the only trusted device.

Please, lets not discuss what it is, I just simply asked for help.

Again, the main question is, why do I have to wait for almost a month for account recovery process to finish???

Because you are using a less secure method of authentication that Apple have been replacing since 2013. Chances are there are several layers of internal security at Apple to ensure they are not giving access to the wrong individual. Sounds like you have had a bad experience, but it is almost certainly the exception and not the rule.

 

[bbrks]

Frankly, I have no idea what are you talking about. Or you mean that your post is actually the answer to my main question? Sorry, but I don't buy it .....anyone else , please.......

 

[Mamun16us]

call apple support, ask for a senior advisor. let them know about your icloud account trouble. verify your account using your security questions. then you should be able to log into your account and edit the phone number to the correct phone number

 

[Shirasaki]

Because you are using a less secure method of authentication that Apple have been replacing since 2013. Chances are there are several layers of internal security at Apple to ensure they are not giving access to the wrong individual. Sounds like you have had a bad experience, but it is almost certainly the exception and not the rule.

There are a good number of customers having only one trusted device, with SMS on it as well. 2FA is not a solution for people with only one iOS device. I am not sure if op has only one iOS device, but I would never recommend anyone with only iPhone to activate 2FA just for the illusion of security and some minor features in exchange to a whole world of hassle.

 

[Vermifuge]

There are a good number of customers having only one trusted device, with SMS on it as well. 2FA is not a solution for people with only one iOS device. I am not sure if op has only one iOS device, but I would never recommend anyone with only iPhone to activate 2FA just for the illusion of security and some minor features in exchange to a whole world of hassle.

By the sounds of it Two Step has been a "whole world of hassle." to op.

 

[bcave098]

call apple support, ask for a senior advisor. let them know about your icloud account trouble. verify your account using your security questions. then you should be able to log into your account and edit the phone number to the correct phone number

Accounts with Two-Factor Authentication or Two-Step Verification do not have security questions. To verify your account, you must be able to sign in and provide a Support PIN.

Right. You keep saying your login code is being sent to your phone number with redundant country codes, but that's not how two factor works. Two factor is sent to and Apple Device (running iOS or macOS) where you are logged in with an iCloud account. The actual phone number is of no meaningful significance.

Two Step https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204152

Two Factor https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204915

Two factor uses a token or that is generated on the device. This is independent from the phone number as the code is trigged by your iCloud login.

OP has indicated that they have done Account Recovery. This is only a feature of Two-Factor Authentication. Two-Step Verification is arguably more secure since there's no way to access the account if you don't have access to any two of the following: the phone number, password, recovery key. If you don't have access to two, your account is lost forever with no recourse.

Both can recieve verification codes by SMS.

It's not independent if you choose to receive the verification code on your phone, as the only trusted device.

Please, lets not discuss what it is, I just simply asked for help.

Again, the main question is, why do I have to wait for almost a month for account recovery process to finish???

Account Recovery takes time. Exactly what happens in the process is only known by certain people at Apple. The delay does help ensure that someone else can't quickly gain access to your account and gives plenty of time for you to report unauthorized activity to Apple/make changes to your account. Clicking the link in the email (if you get one) and providing all the information requested is the only way to speed up the process.

 

[Shirasaki]

By the sounds of it Two Step has been a "whole world of hassle." to op.

Why you believe OP is using 2SV instead of 2FA?

 

[bbrks]

call apple support, ask for a senior advisor. let them know about your icloud account trouble. verify your account using your security questions. then you should be able to log into your account and edit the phone number to the correct phone number

Unfortunately, I have done all that 3 times already. None of the senior advisor came up with what you suggested. All of them told me that I just have to wait for the account recovery process to finish, in about one month. I keep asking myself, why is it taking that long. Total disaster

 

[bbrks]

And just to clarify is it 2fa or not, here the screenshot I am getting

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Unfortunately, I have done all that 3 times already. None of the senior advisor came up with what you suggested. All of them told me that I just have to wait for the account recovery process to finish, in about one month. I keep asking myself, why is it taking that long. Total disaster

Over 1.2Bn devices have been sold. Sure you may think this is simply an update of the telephone number and the country code.If I am not mistaken there are about 250 of those in the world.

But just because you may think that is the issue that doesn't mean it is the issue. For example I look at my record and I can only see one country code.
- So why would Apple have 'changed' just your one to a double one?
- How do you know it is a double country code. Following the ITU standard there are formatting dimensions and limitations to their length. So for example (and I can be wrong as you haven't provided details) a double country code is unlikely as the formatting checks wouldn't allow the + to be anywhere else in the field. Therefore after the country code it would tread the double entry (as you call it) as the area code or in case of mobile phone numbers the provider identifier. Then the digits there after likely would overflow and thus cut off at the end if the country code was added twice, thus your actual subscriber number is not correct.

So with that in mind; what you are asking for is not a simple correction. To them you are being seen as someone trying to hack into someone else device and security. In most responsible organisations that would need to go away from standard front end customer support, and escalation to see what the full audit trail was against this account and whether it was reasonable that there may have been an error crept in somewhere.

Let's just say that if I was pretending to be you, wouldn't you like it if Apple didn't just serve me quickly but attempts to properly identify me and what the trail is behind this?

In order to avoid these situation I really advice to have more than one device linked; for example;
1. Don't just have one number linked to unlock, have an alternate number. You do have an alternate number registered that Apple can contact you on haven't you?
2. Don'y just have one email address linked to your Apple ID, have an alternate one as well. You do have an alternate email address linked so that Apple can contact you don't you?
3. Serious enable the Apple security system; My iPhone, MacBook Pro, Mini, iPad Pro are all linked. If one device fails I can apply self service and unlock it otherwise.

Good luck, but remember you wouldn't be happy if Apple let me in on your account. So why would they believe you when you say you are you

 

[bbrks]

Thanks for your comments, but let me try to answer....
I know that the verification code is being sent to my phone no. with double country code because the senior adviser confirmed it and I have seen it myself on the screen during my first account recovery attempt. Before that, I was using 2FA without any problems for 6 months. Nothing was done from my side to change that. Suddenly, for no reason, double country code was used by Apple servers (I guess).

1. I don't have another Apple device, because I don't need it. Whenever I login to iCloud on my WINDOWS laptop, I was regularly receiving the verification code on my iPhone. SO, it was working perfectly until that unfortunate date. SO, only conclusion I have is, something went wrong at Apple. Period.
2. Of course I do have another mail address linked to my AppleID. But I don't see, how would this help me in present situation. Please tell me

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Regardless of whose fault it is, don’t you think Apple should go through proper procedures instead of just changing it for any Tom, Dick or Harry pretending to be you?

Having another registered and confirmed email address will help you as when Apple wants to verify the registered owner it is likely they will fall back to that.

 

[bbrks]

Agree, of course....and again, my only question is why does it have to take almost a month (30 days!!!!!!!) for an account recovery process to finish. That's crazy........

 

[inkahauts]

There are a good number of customers having only one trusted device, with SMS on it as well. 2FA is not a solution for people with only one iOS device. I am not sure if op has only one iOS device, but I would never recommend anyone with only iPhone to activate 2FA just for the illusion of security and some minor features in exchange to a whole world of hassle.

It seems you do not understand the point of 2fa. The entire point is so that people can’t log in on an unknown device that can’t be verified by you with your other device. So yeah, you should of course use it even if you have only one device.

 

[Shirasaki]

It seems you do not understand the point of 2fa. The entire point is so that people can’t log in on an unknown device that can’t be verified by you with your other device. So yeah, you should of course use it even if you have only one device.

I can understand the point of using 2FA. What I don’t like is all of the hassle and hazard of locking myself away from my account when device is lost, code cannot be received or something else happens. For example, losing the phone sometimes means losing both trusted number and trusted device. In this scenario, security question could still protect the account while gaining access. 2FA on the other hand would lock you out.

 

[verdejt]

Well OP I feel your pain. Yesterday we went into the Apple store for a camera issue on my son's phone. They wound up replacing the device. I finally got the phone side of it straightened out with Sprint but when I go to load from a backup I realized I forgot to turn off 2FA and his phone was the only IOS device in his trusted list as he never added his MacBook like I told him to do. To make matters even worse his Apple ID was tied to a phone number of a previous carrier so we are at the mercy of the recovery process. Just swell. On the upside I immediately went into my account and my wife's account and added each other's phone number as a trusted device. Hopefully in the future I will avoid this pain. I did contact Apple Support last night and there is nothing they can do to bypass it or speed up the process.

 

[Weaselboy]

2FA is not a solution for people with only one iOS device.

My suggestion won't help OP now, but once he gets back into the account, you can add alternate trusted phone numbers in there in the 2FA settings. I added my daughters SMS number and my home voice phone just in case I need in without my iPhone. The home voice option will have Apple robo call you and give you a passcode. So you are not limited to just the one iOS device.

 

[Shirasaki]

My suggestion won't help OP now, but once he gets back into the account, you can add alternate trusted phone numbers in there in the 2FA settings. I added my daughters SMS number and my home voice phone just in case I need in without my iPhone. The home voice option will have Apple robo call you and give you a passcode. So you are not limited to just the one iOS device.

Is there a chance that you can still login to your account without any trusted device? In old security model (security question based), you can access the account even if you lose your trusted device. In new model (2FA), I doubt it.

 

[Weaselboy]

Is there a chance that you can still login to your account without any trusted device? In old security model (security question based), you can access the account even if you lose your trusted device. In new model (2FA), I doubt it.

With 2FA you will need either a trusted device or a trusted phone number you have added like I described.