Account Recovery Contacts: How iOS 15's Forgotten Password Feature Works

iOS 15 adds a number of useful updates from revamped Notifications to Walking Steadiness, but it also brings some important security ones as well.

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The latest iOS 15 update comes with an Account Recovery Contacts feature that’s designed to help users who can’t remember their Apple ID password and avoid them getting locked out of their iCloud account. Apple first unveiled iOS 15 during its WWDC 2021 event back in June, showcasing some of the new updates that Apple users can look forward to when the software update rolls out later in the year. Some of the highlights include Notifications updates, a Focus feature, and an update to Apple Maps.

The Photos app will also get an upgrade with iOS 15, and will allow the iPhone to read and understand text in a photo, similar to Google Lens. iOS 15 will also introduce Separation Alerts that could potentially prevent people from losing important items. Apple users can also look forward to the Walking Steadiness feature, which uses sensors on an iPhone to track when someone is at risk of falling. While iOS 15 won’t officially launch until the fall, the developer beta was released last month, and the public beta is available to download now on any iPhone released since 2014.

With iOS 15, Apple is adding Account Recovery Contacts, allowing the user to choose one or more trusted people who they can reach out to when they’re locked out of the iCloud account. The contact will see a code on their own iPhone, which they can then relay to the user to gain access to the account again and create a new password. According to CNET, users will be able to find the new Add Recovery Contact option listed in the Account Recovery section under Password & Security in the settings menu. There they can select the person they want to add as the contact, safe in the knowledge that the person won’t have access to the iCloud account, just the code needed.

An Important ICloud Protection

The user’s Apple ID is what connects them to iCloud, which also syncs with important apps like Calendar, Contacts and Mail, across all the user’s Apple devices. Not to mention, iCloud can also be used as storage solution for photos and other important information. Due to how connected iCloud is, and the data it has access to, it’s crucial for users to be able to gain access to iCloud, even if they have forgotten their Apple ID password.

Overall, the new Account Recovery feature definitely seems like it’s going to be a useful addition when iOS 15 finally arrives. It will offer peace of mind by allowing users to know there is a safety net available for their iCloud account. Not to mention, as the only person who receives the code is a trusted contact, chosen by the account holder, they can rest assured the Apple ID code is in safe hands.