Sorry for the rant, but I'm a bit beside myself.

I use MacOS for my desktop because I'm a developer, and I need something that works but is also unix (I ran Linux & FreeBSD for decades prior). But I'm not an iPhone user.

On the latest MacOS refresh I discovered my "iCloud" account wouldn't let me sign in anymore, and to reset the password I discovered one journey of pure friction hell, seemingly designed to punish people not using iPhones because they continually remind "If you just had an apple device to verify this on it'd be easier."

The process to reset my password, started days ago, is still not finished, because they've added an arbitrary unknown unquantified "wait a few days and maybe we'll do something. Too bad you don't have an iPhone" wait period.

All I want to do is download an app from the apple store, and it won't let me because I can't sign into my account anymore!

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

The process:

1. I want to install an app (kindle reader, so I can test a newly generated ePub/Mobi); the app redirects me to the apple store.

2. The apple store requires a sign in to iCloud, which doesn't seem to work anymore for me.

3. Ok, reset, fine, then the roller coaster begins... first, give the email (typical, fine)

4. Next screen they want the phone number, which I give. Then it gets to a screen:

5. We've sent a code to "your apple devices signed into iCloud" (that would be this laptop, which isn't signed in obviously, and no iPhone). This comes with the "friendly" nudge:

> Using your Apple device is the easiest and safest way to reset your password...

Yeah, I AM using my one apple device (the mac).

6. Whatever, I select the "Don't have access to any of your Apple devices?" This sends me to another screen "Use another Apple device to reset your password." (wait, didn't we just go over this?) — options:

  * Reset your password while signing in on a new device: You can reset your password from the sign-in screen on your new iPhone, iPad... (yeah, nope)
  * Use someone else's iOS device: If you have a friend or family member with an iPhone, iPad... (nope, and OMG this is frighteningly insecure)
  * Use an iOS device at an Apple Store — not conveniently close, nope (almost an hour drive away).
  * Small text at the bottom: "Can't use any of these options?" — I click this

7. Then it asks me for my phone AGAIN, and sends a code to this phone number. Plug that in — still std reset stuff, I suppose, if not redundant.

8. Then it does the same, but this time for my email — Okay, this is getting a bit pedantic, but sure, fine.

9. Then it sends me to a big middle finger screen that says:

> Without an Apple device, you will have to wait to reset your password.

They give some BS about having to wait to see if any of your devices might sign in somewhere else (no, they won't, since they don't exist). And that it "may be several days or more" WTF? AND, they have a blunt statement:

> Apple Support can't help you shorten this time.

So now, three days later, I still haven't heard back from them.

This is clearly friction introduced just to punish those not on apple systems. It doesn't add any more security, and any of the options to reset are no better, if not WORSE — using my friends apple devices?!

Yeah, I know, just a rant, but seriously; when does this sort of thing fall within the Anti Trust law scopes? Probably not, but it's really ... annoying.

Regardless, I think the US Anti Trust laws REALLY need to be updated to address modern tech companies. It's fairly simple: If you run a tech platform, then you cannot also own content on that platform—must be split into separate entities, because there's a built-in conflict of interest otherwise (this would address Google/Android, Microsoft/Windows, and Apple, among many others).