[u1hcw9nx]

Imagine someone "enthusiastically digitized" (as much as possible) in a foreign country alone and then they lose their iPhone Plane tickets, all hotel reservations, they don't remember any phone numbers. They use ApplePay and other mobile payments. Cards may be in the same wallet case.

Without a trusted device or Recovery Key, Apple may impose a security delay (24 hours to several days) before allowing a password reset. Getting new SIM and re-authenticating our life will be pain.

[ivan_gammel]

Temporarily losing access is just inconvenience. Imagine the same but you lost the wallet with your only cash and your passport in pre-digital times, you are far from the nearest embassy and nobody understands your language. You are fully at the mercy of the locals and your money aren‘t coming back.

[u1hcw9nx]

With Digital passports and ID's the route to recovery starts to get hairy.

1. You need to verify yourself in person to get id or passport. You may need someone you know with you and have real interview.

3. But government gives only digital ID's so you need a phone to get it.

4. You can't buy a new phone or get a new SIM unless you can pay for it. You can't pay for it unless you have a phone and credit cards there. But neither bank does not recognize you without digital ID.

You need friends to bootstrap your life, but you are also in the middle of loneliness epidemic and have no friends, you parents have died. What do you do?

[loloquwowndueo]

A wallet is a wonderful invention that allows you to lose all your important items in one fell swoop

[BrandoElFollito]

I just have one paper passport, the only passport that will be accepted abroad.

[lxgr]

What's the difference to losing your backpack containing all these separate items? And conversely, it's very possible to carry a recovery Yubikey, a single-use login code etc. in a separate bag.

Getting a new (e)SIM abroad can be very annoying, depending on the mobile network, which is why I try to avoid mandatory SMS authentication as much as possible.

[ab71e5]

Yeah losing is maybe a bad example. What about a software update bricking the device, or a hardware problem?

[reaperducer]

What's the difference to losing your backpack containing all these separate items?

Nobody ever lost everything by dropping a backpack in a public toilet.

A phone, on the other hand…