Guides / Set up a Recovery Contact

Set up a Recovery Contact before you need one

Updated 3 November 2026 · By the FirstHour team

Short answerA Recovery Contact is someone you trust who can give you a code to reset your Apple Account password if you're locked out. They can't get into your account. On your iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, then Sign-In & Security, Recovery Contacts, and Add Recovery Contact. They need an Apple device too.

Why it helps

Losing your phone and forgetting your password is a hard mix. Without help, Apple's account recovery can take several days or more, and it can take longer without a Recovery Contact. Apple's reset steps also list a code from a Recovery Contact as one of the things you may be asked for if you don't have a trusted device.

You have to set this up in advance, while you can still get into your account.

Before you start

Step by step

  1. Open Settings and tap your name.
  2. Tap Sign-In & Security, then Recovery Contacts.
  3. Tap Add Recovery Contact and follow the steps on screen.
  4. Choose someone suggested, or tap Choose Someone Else.

Someone in your Family Sharing group is added automatically. Anyone else has to accept in Messages, and you'll see a message once they do. You can add up to five people.

If Stolen Device Protection is on and you're away from familiar places, you'll have to wait an hour before you can make this change.

Who to choose

Choose a family member or close friend you can reach by phone or see in person. It also helps to pick someone who isn't usually with you, so you don't both lose your phones at the same moment. Write down who you chose, because Apple doesn't know who your Recovery Contacts are. Tell them what it's for, so a call from you later isn't a surprise.

How it works when you need it

  1. If you've forgotten your password and can't reset it, start account recovery.
  2. After you've verified some details, call or meet your contact.
  3. On their device, they go to Settings, tap their name, then Sign-In & Security and Recovery Contacts. Under Account Recovery For, they choose you and tap Get Recovery Code.
  4. They give you the six-digit code, and you enter it on the device where you started account recovery.

If you're next to each other and both have the latest iOS, you may not need a code. Their iPhone may ask them to help, and they hold it over your device.

What it can't do

If your phone is stolen, look through your your recovery options in Sign-In & Security once you're signed in somewhere safe. Apple suggests reviewing them, along with your email addresses and phone numbers, in case something was changed.

How FirstHour helps

Plan B helps you get a first-hour plan to someone you trust. That person doesn't have to be your Recovery Contact, but it's handy if they are. FirstHour can't set up a Recovery Contact for you, can't get a recovery code, and can't confirm that your helper received the plan.

Questions

Can my Recovery Contact see my messages or photos?

No. Apple says they have no access to your account, only the ability to give you a code.

Someone's asking me for a recovery code. Should I give it?

Only to your friend or family member directly. Apple says that if anyone else asks you for a code on their behalf, don't give it. Call them on a number you already have if you're not sure.

What if I don't have one?

You can still go through account recovery. It can just take longer.

Sources

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