Verizon reps are begging customers to stop doing this one frustrating thing

But it’s not just about unlocking your phone. Reps say customers frequently assume Verizon can recover passwords for any account tied to their device, just because they bought the phone there. That includes iCloud, Google, Facebook, or even email logins. Spoiler: they can't. Verizon can help with service plans and tech support, but not with passwords to personal accounts that are managed by completely separate companies.

With phones becoming more secure through things like fingerprint and face unlock, it's easy to forget your actual password or PIN. But those biometrics are only shortcuts. When you're transferring phones, resetting one, or signing into apps, you're going to need the real thing. And if you don’t remember it, there’s not much anyone else can do other than perhaps walk you through password resetting steps, which can be time-consuming.

Add to that the fact that most phones now come with factory reset protection, or FRP. It kicks in after a reset and requires the original account login info to work again. That means even if you wipe the phone, it’s going to stay locked unless you know your Google or Apple credentials. It's a strong security feature, but only if you actually remember your login.

It's important to remember that Verizon reps aren’t trying to make your life harder. They just can’t override security protocols that were put in place to protect your data. So before heading to the store, do yourself a favor: test your password, write it down somewhere safe, and make sure you can log in to any important account. Your future self, and your local Verizon rep, will thank you and will likely do a better job of helping you with the issue you needed help with in the first place.