What to do if you forgot your security questions

An Apple ID is required to purchase media from the iTunes Store. Since debit cards, credit cards and bank accounts are often linked directly to an Apple ID account, security is important to keep the account private. When an Apple ID password is forgotten, Apple allows access to the account as long as security questions can be answered. If these are forgotten as well, reset the security questions to prevent future log in problems. In most cases, issues with forgotten passwords or answers to security questions can be resolved through automated emails from Apple.

  1. 1.

    Log in to the Apple ID account. If you do not remember the password, click the “Forgot Your Password?” link located just below the log in box. An email will be sent to the associated email account with information on how to reset the password. Follow its instructions to reset your password and log in to your Apple ID account.

  2. 2.

    Click “Password and Security” at the left side of the Apple account page. Click the “Send Reset Security Info Email” link located below the security questions.

  3. 3.

    Check the rescue email account for a message from Apple. Click the link in the message to navigate to the Apple security question reset page.

  4. 4.

    Choose the new security questions and type in the answers. The security questions must be different questions than you used in the past.

    What are the Apple ID security questions? According to Apple, "the security questions are designed to be memorable to you but hard for anyone else to guess. When used in conjunction with other identifying information, they help verify that you're the person requesting access to your account." But because we rarely need to answer security questions, it's easy to forget answers to these questions.

    What will happen if you forget your Apple ID security questions? If that happens to you, you will receive messages like "Your Apple ID has been locked for security reasons" or "your account has been disabled in the App Store and iTunes." As a result, you'll be locked out of your Apple account.

    In that situation, some people may try to factory reset the iPhone or ask for the help of Apple Support. But if it doesn't work, how to unlock your Apple ID without security questions?

    To tackle this issue, you can refer to the following solutions.

    Solution 1. Unlock Apple ID by Resetting Apple Security Questions

    If you can still remember your Apple ID password and phone number you used to set up your device, chances are that you can reset the security questions by following these steps. While if you can't remember the Apple ID password, security questions, and phone number, just try other solutions introduced in this guide instead.

    Step 1. Visit iforgot.apple.com and log in with your Apple ID and Password.

    Step 2. You will see a window asking you to confirm your phone number. Enter your phone number. If it doesn't appear, just jump to the next step.

    Step 3. Then, you'll see the option to reset your password or reset your security questions.

    Step 4. Select "I need to reset my password" in the popup box and click "Continue."

    Step 5. Enter your password in the prompt and follow the prompts to verify your identity.

    Step 6. Select your new security questions and answers, and then select "Continue."

    Reset Apple ID security questions

    Pro Tips: You can follow the same process to reset your Apple ID password. If you want to reset the password, you can also do it via Settings and "Password & Security" on an existing Apple device, as long as you are already signed in on the device with the same Apple ID and know the iPhone screen passcode.

    Solution 2. Unlock Apple ID Without Security Questions or Phone Number or Password

    As you can see above, you can reset Apple ID security questions if you know your Apple ID password or phone number. While what if you can't offer any of the needed information? How to unlock Apple ID without restrictions?

    To do this, you'll need an iPhone unlock tool like EaseUS MobiUnlock to help. This program can efficiently unlock your Apple ID without passwords or other information. It is 100% clean and safe without viruses or malware. More importantly, it offers a money-back guarantee, so you can get your money back if you find it useless. 

    Still not sure whether it is worth downloading EaseUS MobiUnlock? You'll probably make the decision after checking its features below.

    Here are the steps to unlock Apple ID without security questions or passwords:

    1

    Note: Before proceeding with these steps, make sure you can unlock your device to trust this computer.

    Step 1. Start EaseUS MobiUnlock on your PC. Connect your iPhone to the PC with a USB cable. Choose "Unlock Apple ID" to continue.

    Remove Apple ID - Step 1

    Step 2. EaseUS MobiUnlock will recongize your iPhone. Then please click "Start" to move to next step.

    Unlock Apple ID - Step 2

    Step 3. You will see a popup. Make sure you have read it and understand the information to avoid unwanted data loss. Input "777777" in the box and click "Unlock" to go on.

    Unlock Apple ID - Step 3

    Step 4. EaseUS MobiUnlock will download the fireware for your iPhone. After the firmware is ready, click "Unlock Now" to remove Apple ID from your iPhone.

    Unlock Apple ID - Step 4

    Step 5. After the process is complete, you can gain access to the iPhone and sign in with your new Apple ID.

    Remove Apple ID - Step 5

    Solution 3. Unlock Apple ID Using Two-Factor Authentication

    If you've enabled two-factor authentication for your Apple ID, then you can unlock your Apple ID by using a trusted Apple device and phone number. It is easy to operate. You can follow these steps to do it. 

    Step 1. If you see a prompt saying "Apple ID Locked" asking you to unlock your account, click "Unlock Account."

    Step 2. You'll need to enter your trusted phone number to continue.

    Step 3. Then, a verification code will be sent to your trusted phone number. Just enter the code on your iPhone. 

    Step 4. Enter your Apple ID password. If you don't remember that, you can click "Forgot Password" to recover it. 

    Step 5. Enter the screen passcode and follow the on-screen instruction to finish the rest of the steps. 

    Apple ID locked

    Solution 4. Unlock Apple ID Using Recovery Key

    Things can be easy if you have a recovery key. You only need to enter your recovery key on the Apple ID recovery page. Here are the steps. 

    Step 1. Open the Apple ID account page in a browser and click "Forget Apple ID or Passcode."

    Step 2. Enter your Apple ID and select the option to reset your password, then click "Continue."

    Step 3. Enter your recovery key and choose a trusted device to receive a verification code.

    Step 4. Then, you can use the verification code to reset the password.

    Enter recovery key

    The Bottom Line

    Through this guide, you might know what to do when you forget Apple ID security questions. Generally, these methods are enough to solve your problem. If you can't solve your problem, you may also take your device to the nearby Apple Store to ask for the help of Apple Support. 

    FAQs

    Forgetting Apple ID security questions is very common in our daily life. While it is not the only problem we may face, many other iPhone-related problems or questions exist. If you want to learn about such problems or questions, check the following FAQs. 

    1. What is simple secondary authentication?

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

    2. Why can't I reset security questions?

    The main reason why you can't reset security questions is that you can't offer sufficient information. You'll receive a message saying, "we don't have sufficient information to reset your security questions." Therefore, if you can't offer the correct information or forget the answers to the security questions, you can't reset the security questions.

    What to do if I forgot my security questions?

    If you're asked a security question and you: Don't remember the answer: Take your best guess..
    Look for a sign-up email. ... .
    Ask your contacts. ... .
    Think about related events or purchases..

    How do I unlock my Apple ID if I forgot my security questions?

    Open Apple official website and find the iforgot option. Enter your Apple ID, and then select “Continue”. Select the option to reset your security questions and then select “Continue”. Enter the password of your Apple ID and then select “Continue”.

    What is your security question?

    Security questions are a common method of identity authentication—one you've probably encountered before. When creating an account or signing up for a service online, users will confidentially share the answers to secret questions with a provider.