Apple 2FA on non existing device
February 12, 2025 4:08 PM Subscribe
As asked in this previous question, I'm trying to set up my mother's iDevices. It keeps asking me to enter the Passcode for a device that doesn't exist.
I have an iPad 5, an iPhone 11, and an iPhone 7.
Each of them accepts my Apple ID password, but only gives each device limited access to iCloud — that is, the devices are not synching with each other.
In the Settings, there are notification badges and when I click them, it tells me that my end to end data cannot be accessed until I verify the account. I click Verify, it asks me for the Apple ID password, which I enter, and it accepts. It then tells me to enter the Passcode for Agnes' iPad (my mother's name is Agnes).
However, the iPad that I have is just called iPad (in settings and Find My). When I look at Find My it shows me the three devices I have but does not show me Agnes' iPad.
When I attempt this verification from the iPad itself, the pop up tells me I have to "Enter the Passcode for the OTHER iPad". There is no other iPad and it's not letting me get around this that I can make out.
1. Anyone know what's going on and how to fix this? When I use Find My to locate the iPad listed it is indeed the iPad I have.
2. If the non-existent iPad is on my mother's ID (which they seem to think it is), would its Passcode not be the same as the Apple ID passcode these three devices is accepting? Or does passcode mean something besides Apple ID Passcode? Why is it implying the iPad has its own passcode? If Passcode doens't mean Apple ID Passcode and means Pin number for the iPad, why is it not presenting me with a Number Pad, but rather a keyboard?
When I tell it I don't have another iPad, it gives me the option to "Delete iCloud Data?" and says
"To continue using iCloud you can delete your end to end encrypted data stored in iCloud. After deleting your data, you'll be able to sync new data, and any data stored on your Apple devices , to iCloud. Your iCloud Mail, Calendar, and Contacts won't be deleted."
3. Can someone explain what this means? What about all her photos and such?
4. Lastly how can I deal with this "Other iPad" nonsense? I have already contact Apple support and they say they can fix it on their end, but it'll take 72 hours, which I don't really have as my mother is now without a phone.
Thanks.
I have an iPad 5, an iPhone 11, and an iPhone 7.
Each of them accepts my Apple ID password, but only gives each device limited access to iCloud — that is, the devices are not synching with each other.
In the Settings, there are notification badges and when I click them, it tells me that my end to end data cannot be accessed until I verify the account. I click Verify, it asks me for the Apple ID password, which I enter, and it accepts. It then tells me to enter the Passcode for Agnes' iPad (my mother's name is Agnes).
However, the iPad that I have is just called iPad (in settings and Find My). When I look at Find My it shows me the three devices I have but does not show me Agnes' iPad.
When I attempt this verification from the iPad itself, the pop up tells me I have to "Enter the Passcode for the OTHER iPad". There is no other iPad and it's not letting me get around this that I can make out.
1. Anyone know what's going on and how to fix this? When I use Find My to locate the iPad listed it is indeed the iPad I have.
2. If the non-existent iPad is on my mother's ID (which they seem to think it is), would its Passcode not be the same as the Apple ID passcode these three devices is accepting? Or does passcode mean something besides Apple ID Passcode? Why is it implying the iPad has its own passcode? If Passcode doens't mean Apple ID Passcode and means Pin number for the iPad, why is it not presenting me with a Number Pad, but rather a keyboard?
When I tell it I don't have another iPad, it gives me the option to "Delete iCloud Data?" and says
"To continue using iCloud you can delete your end to end encrypted data stored in iCloud. After deleting your data, you'll be able to sync new data, and any data stored on your Apple devices , to iCloud. Your iCloud Mail, Calendar, and Contacts won't be deleted."
3. Can someone explain what this means? What about all her photos and such?
4. Lastly how can I deal with this "Other iPad" nonsense? I have already contact Apple support and they say they can fix it on their end, but it'll take 72 hours, which I don't really have as my mother is now without a phone.
Thanks.
Response by poster: You mean on the web? Yes. If I go in there and go to Find My I see the same devices shown on the three devices.
If I click Manage iCloud account and then Devices it again shows me just those three devices.
posted by dobbs at 5:21 PM on February 12
If I click Manage iCloud account and then Devices it again shows me just those three devices.
posted by dobbs at 5:21 PM on February 12
Passcode is the PIN. If a numeric PIN is used to unlock the iPad, just go to the numbers on the keyboard and enter them.
posted by outfielder at 5:25 PM on February 12
posted by outfielder at 5:25 PM on February 12
To answer one of your questions, yes, there is a difference between device passcode and account password. There should be, anyway. I suppose they could be one and the same, but you are being asked for two distinct pieces of information.
posted by emelenjr at 5:26 PM on February 12
posted by emelenjr at 5:26 PM on February 12
Response by poster: Thanks for your answers. Unfortunately, I do not have the PIN for the iPad I do not have and the pin for the iPad I do have does not work.
posted by dobbs at 6:47 PM on February 12
posted by dobbs at 6:47 PM on February 12
Best answer: A subset of iCloud data is “end-to-end encrypted” so that nobody—not even Apple—can possibly read it without your password. The encryption key is derived from your device password/PIN rather than your Apple ID password, so that it is never sent over the network.
The password/PIN used to encrypt the data comes from the first device you use to set up your iCloud account. It sounds like your mother previously had a different iPad, and you need the password or PIN from that older iPad. (Or maybe it was the same physical iPad, but it went through a factory reset so it appears to be a different device now?)
If you don’t have that PIN, there is no way to sync end-to-end encrypted data until you “reset” it. This will remove saved logins, health data, wi-fi passwords, and credit card info from the iCloud storage. If you still have a device with this data locally, you should be able to upload the data back to iCloud after you reset the iCloud data and resume syncing.
Resetting end-to-end encrypted data will not affect photos, notes, backups, or Safari bookmarks—unless the account has Advanced Data Protection for iCloud enabled. (It probably does not; this is an opt-in setting that takes several steps to enable, so it is mostly used by very security-conscious techies.)
See the table on this page for a full list of which iCloud data is end-to-end encrypted with or without Advanced Data Protection.
posted by mbrubeck at 6:47 PM on February 12 [3 favorites]
The password/PIN used to encrypt the data comes from the first device you use to set up your iCloud account. It sounds like your mother previously had a different iPad, and you need the password or PIN from that older iPad. (Or maybe it was the same physical iPad, but it went through a factory reset so it appears to be a different device now?)
If you don’t have that PIN, there is no way to sync end-to-end encrypted data until you “reset” it. This will remove saved logins, health data, wi-fi passwords, and credit card info from the iCloud storage. If you still have a device with this data locally, you should be able to upload the data back to iCloud after you reset the iCloud data and resume syncing.
Resetting end-to-end encrypted data will not affect photos, notes, backups, or Safari bookmarks—unless the account has Advanced Data Protection for iCloud enabled. (It probably does not; this is an opt-in setting that takes several steps to enable, so it is mostly used by very security-conscious techies.)
See the table on this page for a full list of which iCloud data is end-to-end encrypted with or without Advanced Data Protection.
posted by mbrubeck at 6:47 PM on February 12 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: mbrubeck, just so I'm clear of what the steps would be if I choose "Delete iCloud Data"... what happens next?
Does it make me reset the Apple ID password? Does it then try to send any data from the phones to the cloud? Will any devices be factory reset? Any idea what to expect if I click that big, red, intimidating button?
posted by dobbs at 6:54 PM on February 12
Does it make me reset the Apple ID password? Does it then try to send any data from the phones to the cloud? Will any devices be factory reset? Any idea what to expect if I click that big, red, intimidating button?
posted by dobbs at 6:54 PM on February 12
Best answer: If it’s prompting you specifically to “Reset Encrypted Data” or “Reset End-to-End Encrypted Data” then this will not factory-reset your devices or your Apple ID. It will just remove the end-to-end encrypted data (as enumerated in that table) from Apple’s servers.
You will need to re-type your current device PIN or password, and this will become the new encryption password that you can use to re-enable iCloud on the remaining devices (and any future devices). Health data / wifi passwords / etc. that are still stored locally on the devices should upload to iCloud once they have the new encryption passcode and can resume syncing.
posted by mbrubeck at 7:19 PM on February 12 [3 favorites]
You will need to re-type your current device PIN or password, and this will become the new encryption password that you can use to re-enable iCloud on the remaining devices (and any future devices). Health data / wifi passwords / etc. that are still stored locally on the devices should upload to iCloud once they have the new encryption passcode and can resume syncing.
posted by mbrubeck at 7:19 PM on February 12 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you very much, mbrubeck! That worked!
posted by dobbs at 7:34 PM on February 12 [1 favorite]
posted by dobbs at 7:34 PM on February 12 [1 favorite]
In order to avoid this kind of stress in future: next time you're about to do anything to any Apple device that could involve performing a factory reset on it, log into the Apple account it's currently associated with and remove it from that account before doing that.
This step is often overlooked for Apple devices that get factory-reset before being sold or given away to somebody else, which causes the recipients a lot of unnecessary grief.
posted by flabdablet at 11:52 PM on February 12 [9 favorites]
This step is often overlooked for Apple devices that get factory-reset before being sold or given away to somebody else, which causes the recipients a lot of unnecessary grief.
posted by flabdablet at 11:52 PM on February 12 [9 favorites]
I guess it worked out, but losing all your health and iCloud keychain data is a shame. I would have next tried logging out of the problem device and removing it from iCloud. If that didn't work, logging out of every device, restarting them, logging back in. Just posting for anyone seeing this in the future.
posted by michaelh at 11:02 AM on February 13
posted by michaelh at 11:02 AM on February 13
« Older How to pick up a friendship post- uneven job loss... | Financial safety in the age of Musk Newer »
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by michaelh at 5:16 PM on February 12