[mindslight]

We really need some straightforward way to carry a mostly-wiped phone, and then download an app, input credentials [0] (stored in your head), and have everything [1] downloaded from a cloud server and ready to go.

[0] since I'm spelling this out, one of those credentials should be a passphrase such that the server doesn't have access to your data

[1] modulo data/apps you actually want on a phone in a foreign country, of course

[GTP]

Interesting idea. But, in your vision, what would be the main difference between this approach and actually wiping your device, install just some basic apps you need during the travel (e.g. airline's app for the boarding pass and flight info) and then restore from your cloud backup at the end of the flight? Main difference I see is that Apple/Google wouldn't have access to your data, but this only makes sense if you're not using their services to start with.

[raw_anon_1111]

You just reinvented iCloud - welcome to 2011.

[mindslight]

Does iCloud not blast you with a bunch of "2FA" hassles the way Google does? That passwords are no longer complete account credentials makes this approach a non-starter, unless you want to come up with some protocol with a trusted person who stays home (with access to your account) and can perform those verification steps for you.

Even so I would still be worried about the nonstandard behavior of activating a new device in a foreign country causing my Apple/Google account to get straight up locked by their arbitrary and capricious "security" systems.

[raw_anon_1111]

Passkeys are stored in your Apple Keychain. I don’t think you have to go through 2FA if you use a Passkey with Google.

I can throw my iPhone in the ocean, go to the nearest cell phone store/Apple Store and log into my Apple account and you won’t be able to tell the difference between my old phone and new phone - all apps, data, icon positions, passwords, photos, settings, bookmarks, history, messages etc will be restored

[mindslight]

I don't really know how Passkeys or Apple Keychain works. But regardless I would think there has to be some other step to go from merely knowing a password to being able to access a cloud account (which includes the Keychain), no?

Are you saying that you can throw your phone in the ocean, have access to no other devices (including a SIM card), obtain a new phone, input your email+password, and reliably have that new phone onboarded? Because it certainly doesn't work that way in Android+GApps land from everything I've experienced - rather there is always a step where at the very least you have to authenticate using another logged-in session or email challenge.

[raw_anon_1111]

That’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s worked that way since 2011.

If you go into the Apple Store or your carrier, they hand you new phone, you log in to your iCloud account and it asks you which back up you want to use if you have multiple backups. You might these days have to enter your passcode from your old device.

You or they call your carrier or depending on your carrier you can register your e-sim directly from your phone.

[mindslight]

Well it's certainly not that way in Android+GApps land, which is why I wrote my original comment.