Hi all,
Posting here because I've exhausted the Developer Support channel and I'm hoping someone in the community has seen this before, or can point me toward a path that actually leads somewhere.
What happened
I tried to enroll in the Apple Developer Program through the Developer app on my iPhone 16 Pro Max. I uploaded my passport as prompted and entered my address in Latin characters. I then got an error screen saying there may be an issue with my account that needs to be resolved before I can continue, and to contact Support. The enrollment button now reads "ID Verification Rejected."
I have since also attempted enrollment through the web at developer.apple.com. Same result. This appears to rule out the Developer app's device check as the cause, and suggests the block sits on the account itself.
What Support told me
After several weeks and multiple exchanges, the answer I keep receiving is that my device is listed as a trusted device on other Apple Accounts, and that I need to contact whoever controls those accounts and have my device removed. They've also told me they can't disclose which accounts those are.
So the instruction is: fix a problem by contacting people whose identity Apple won't reveal.
I've also tried reaching Developer Support by phone. I've sat on hold for up to three hours on multiple attempts and never reached anyone. Email replies come back every few days and repeat the same instruction.
What I've already checked
I own the device, the phone number, and both of my Apple Accounts. My two accounts use different trusted phone numbers and different devices. Nothing is shared between them. I've checked every account belonging to people in my household. Nothing is shared or borrowed. Enrollment fails identically through the web and through the app.
Where that leaves me
Either Apple's records are wrong and my device or number is flagged in error, or an account I don't control genuinely has my device listed as trusted, which would be a security concern that I can't investigate without information only Apple has. Either way, I don't see how the resolution is on my end.
What's stopping me from just throwing money at this is that I don't know what's actually flagged. If it's the device, a new iPhone fixes it. If it's my phone number or my Apple Account, I could buy a new phone, a new number, and a new email and still land on the same screen, out well over a thousand dollars with nothing to show. Nobody at Apple will tell me which it is, so any purchase is a guess. That's the part I find hardest to accept.
What I'm asking the community
Has anyone hit "ID Verification Rejected" during enrollment and gotten past it? What actually worked? Given that web and app enrollment both fail the same way, has anyone seen an account-level verification flag like this get cleared, and what triggered the clearing? Is there any way to see or reset which accounts list a device as trusted, from the device owner's side? Is there an escalation route that actually connects to a human? Three-hour phone holds with no answer and repeating email replies have gotten me nowhere. Does Feedback Assistant work for this, or is there a specific team that handles enrollment identity issues?
Any pointers appreciated. I've been stuck on this for weeks, and I'd rather find the right door than keep knocking on the same one.
Thanks.