Getting locked out of your own mobile because you’ve forgotten your unlock password or you’ve been hacked is one of the most common fears in using smartphone technology. Mostly because we now keep so much of our lives on that handheld device! Did you know there’s an Apple feature called “Recovery Contact” that lets you nominate people to restore your accounts?
It’s a new feature built into iOS 15, which as of this writing, is the latest software update for your iPhone. (Note this is different from your handset model number eg iPhone 11, etc. Unlike new handsets, software updates are free and automatic as long as you have your phone charging.)
How does this work?
Like most forms of prevention, you need to set this up before you’ve been hacked or locked out of your account.
You need to choose a trusted person who will also be responsive if you need to be let back in to your account. They need to be 13 years or older and have a device (phone or iPad) that has operating system iOS15 or higher. It will only take a few seconds for this person to help you regain control of your device and account, so it’s not a huge ask.
How to enable a Recovery Contact
As a first step, you need to make sure you’re using iOS 15 (or a later version, if you’re reading this well after its date of publication). To do so, go to 
Settings > General > Software Update and check that the number is version 15 or higher. See screenshots below.
If you’ve got any updates pending, install them. This will ensure you get the latest security fixes. If you haven’t already done so, enable two-factor authorization (and your Recovery Contact will need this as well).
- Next, go to Settings and choose Apple ID at the top below or next to your name (and photo).
- Tap “Password & Security” and then choose Account Recovery.
- From there you can tap “Add Recovery Contact” to choose someone.
- You can then send that person a message (which you can edit), letting them know they’re your Recovery Contact.
- Send it and you’re covered.
How to recover an account
If you are locked out or hacked, get in touch with your Recovery Contact.
The Contact will need to go into Settings > Apple ID > Password & Security before choosing “Account Recovery”.
They’ll be able to generate a Recovery Code that can be used to reset a compromised device. And you should then be good to get back into your phone and account.
If you’d like to find out other benefits that come with your iOS 15 version, be sure to subscribe below, as we’ll cover other tricks in upcoming posts. We promise to keep your details just between us.
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