Error 'iCloud isn't set up for this Apple ID' when trying to access iCloud photos on Apple TV model: A1469.

Clearly the issue is not resolved yet (Jan. 3, 2024). I am a user of iCloud for photos, documents, mail, and more, so I’m pretty certain my AppleID is ready for iCloud! I can understand why Apple cannot activate all the latest features on older devices, but that should not be a reason to disallow the use of a perfectly functional device. And there’s no reason for confusing error messages either…

I have the same issue with an Apple TV A1427, so I called Apple Support. The analyst plugged the device serial number into her system and said something like, "Aha! This is a known issue - and we are working on a fix."

As a natural cynic, I asked, "That's great! How long has Apple been working on this?" That information was not forthcoming, but she said it was being actively worked on and should be fixed within a few weeks. She was unable to say if the fix would be rolled out via firmware updates or changes on their side.

So I plan to periodically check for a firmware update and attempt to login.

Wish me luck...

I had the same problem and found a work around. On your Apple TV (mine is Model A1469) go to Screen Saver - Photos - Choose Photos. Under that will be options, mine show National Geographic, Animals, etc. At the bottom is Computers, under which is (Your name's) Library. When I initially chose this it told me to open Itunes on my laptop, go to File - Home Sharing - Choose Photos to share with Apple TV. There I got options to choose from my laptop or iCloud, I chose what I wanted and now it works perfect.

Speculation: Apple has just discontinued "My Photo Stream." They have not discontinued shared albums for users not using iCloud Photos. They have not accounted for that on (at least legacy) Apple TV devices. I too was using a shared album to display photos on my older Apple TV, and I don't use iCloud Photos. Now I can't get this shared album on my Apple TV because of this "able to sign in, iCloud isn’t set up for this Apple ID" garbage. Apple would need to update the OS on the legacy machine to deal with this. I'm not holding my breath... though Apple has done updates for machinery that's no longer supported in the past (case in point, adding AirPlay 2 to the second-gen Airport Express).

This is BS. Thread open and unresolved for an unreasonable amount of time. Multiple people with the same issue, as am I. Its this type of issue that creates distrust in a company like Apple. They have purposefully, in a roundabout manner, limited functionality of our “outdated” devices in order to drive profit margins. Disgusted. Frustrated. Considering switching devices altogether….

prove me wrong? @apple

Apple TV Model A1469, having the same difficulty. Any further updates since 1/6/23?

Same issue here w/ AppleTV 3 (A1469). I also tried a full restore which did download an “update”, but the error remains. Given that a code is sent to my other devices when connecting to iCloud, the issue is likely on the iCloud authentication backend and shouldn’t be difficult for Apple to address.

Your solution works well; thank you for the post. The downside for me is the only "always on" machine in my home is my Win10 machine (my MacBooks are more on-demand). I have a *lot* of shared albums as well, and the Win10 iCloud client doesn't appear to allow selection of just a single shared album; thus the are all now duplicated on my Win10 machine only to serve as a sort of "way station" to allow the old AppleTV to find and cache them itself. Disk space is cheap, but...

@Apple needs to get this worked out correctly. They have the ability, now let's see the will.

Another crap from Apple

Same issue here. I got Apple TV 3 and my iCloud Photos wallpapers were working fine until they shut down my photo stream. But they completely ignore the fact that people still use shared albums, and those shared albums are the part of Apple TV 3 model.

And I totally agree they have to come up with a new software update in order have that functionality for people like me.

Please contact Apple Support for their compatibility statement for the combination of iCloud services (Photos) and your model Apple TV. Recent changes to iCloud may have affected compatibility for some services with legacy models.

Did this. Didn’t work.

Thanks Apple, for allowing me to login to your discussion board using the same Apple ID that “isn’t set up for iCloud”, allegedly. So super grateful you’ll allow us to complain about the issue without actually putting forth any effort to resolve it for us. Glad we invested money into your products that you’ve deemed worthless. What a shame that our investment is meaningless.

AirPlay and iCloud services are independent features. One does not affect the other.

Use AirPlay to stream video or mirror the screen of your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Streaming using AirPlay, from iPad to Apple TV box, requires that:

• the Apple TV box is activated and registered with an Apple ID (e.g. for the iTunes Store),
• the iPad and Apple TV box are connected to the same home network,
• the streaming service supports the Apple TV (3rd generation) as receiving device. This varies by content provider. Select services may not have made provisions to support AirPlay, or choose to block AirPlay, or require a later model receiving device (AirPlay 2-compatible),
• prefer in-app AirPlay controls (when available) over device-wide screen mirroring. Sometimes the first is supported but not the latter.

I’m having the same issue with my older model Apple TV not recognizing iCloud being set up for my Apple ID account. Frustrating. The issue began with not being able to long on and watch Apple TV+. We simply used the Apple TV as a cast hub for other devices. But now that isn’t working. Also, now no other apps will function with out the device requiring a login to iCloud… that it won’t accept as valid. Frustrating… infuriating rather.

Surely Apple has a compatibility statement publicly available online (rather than pointing users towards a support phone call)..

System requirements for iCloud – Apple Support (UK)

Here is the minimum spec required for an Apple TV to run

iCloud Shared Photo Library

iCloud Shared Photo Library is available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC and Apple TV.

• iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1
• macOS Ventura 13 
• Windows 10 with iCloud for Windows 14
• tvOS 16

I receive the same error stating that ICloud isn’t set up for my Apple ID when trying to login on my Apple TV and I suspect that’s because I am running an older Apple TV SW version that what is listed above as the minimum requirement…