Q: icloud: The maximum number of free accounts have been activated on this iPhone.

You have to create an iCloud account somehow on another iOS device or Mac, then you can sign into it on this phone. If you don't have a friend with the relevant hardware who can help you and Apple Store may be able to set it up for you. If you do this this way, change the password once you've signed in on the phone.

this worked Flawlessly!

I have 2 questions:

1. I did make a new iCloud account on an iMac, but unfortunately if I tried to sign in on the iPad the error message came back. Why is this?
   
   
   
2. If you use another iDevice for "activating", do you also lose one possibility to create a new iCloud-account on that device?
   
   
   
   
   

1. You only get the error message if you try to sign in with an Apple ID which doesn't have an iCloud account associated with it (and the device has already created three iCloud accounts) so if you are sure that you are entering the ID correctly I don't know why this should happen.

2. Yes, of course.

Greetings,

Similarly to this ^ problem (I think), I have a 4s on latest OS - Am swapping the phone from personal to business use.

Created new iCloud account with existing Gmail address using PC.

iCloud account is now active. Have signed into iTunes and iCloud on PC.

iPhone still will not sign in, saying "max number of free accounts etc. etc.".

At a loss now.

Help appreciated, thx

As long as you are trying to sign in on the iPhone with an existing iCloud account you should not be seeing this error, since it only concerns the creation of iCloud accounts on that particular device. Just as a check you should sign in with that ID at http://www.icloud.com and confirm that you can see the various pages such as Mail, Calendar, etc.

If you are still having this problem on the iPhone I can only suggest you contact Support since something odd is going on. Go to https://getsupport.apple.com . Click' See all products and services', then 'More', then 'iCloud', then 'Account and Setup', then 'Troubleshooting iCloud account issues'. Then click 'No thanks. Continue' to be offered contact methods.

Thanks for your reply Roger.

When I sign into iCloud with this new account through PC, all I get is: Pages, Numbers, Keynote and Settings.

I assume it would appear like this until I actually sign in on the iPhone - then Calendars, Notes etc. would all appear.

Also have logged into 2 previous previous iCloud accounts I've used with this phone (have had the handset since new), and made sure they are not attached to this handset anymore. Seems they're not.

When I reset (all content and settings) the phone earlier today, had to input my previous account PW, which I did, then set up as new after. But still no luck using the new iCloud account.

Will try the support link you provided.

Much appreciated, Cheers.

If the iCloud account is functioning properly then at http://www.icloud.com you should see Contacts, Mail, Notes, etc. Is it there that you are signing in? You say you created the account on a PC - you mean on Windows?: supposedly you can't create an iCloud account on Windows so I wonder whether you have in fact done so - you may have only create an Apple ID which would get you into iTunes.

In order to sign in on the iPhone you have to create an iCloud account on another iOS device or on a Mac, not on Windows. From the fact that you are getting this error on the phone it does sound as if you haven't actually managed to create an account.

If you sign into http://www.icloud.com in the browser on a computer (not on an iOS device) what do you see? Can you post a screenshot (obscure any personal details such as your ID).

Right, that could be it.

I created the new apple ID on my PC at iCloud.com, then signed into iCloud.com with it from there - assuming that was all I had to do, and there was no problems at this stage.

I've now downloaded iCloud for Windows, which won't let me sign in until I've used the new Apple ID to set up iCloud on an iOS device (which it's not letting me do - and I only have the one Apple device).

Here's a screenshot, signed in iCloud.com with the new Apple ID:

I don't know why you're seeing that - I would guess that since you can purchase Pages etc. you're provided with a partial access to iCloud to save your documents, but I really don't know. However, as you've discovered, you can't create an iCloud account on Windows. If you can get to an Apple Store they may well be able to create one for you. (Change the password when you get back home).

Yes, seems strange.

Have set up a couple of times before using the same method with no problems.

Will see how it goes trying a couple of things today and report back.

Cheers Roger.

Hi thank you for being helpful on the forum. I created my icloud account using his iPhone and he don't know my password and I have changed the password but I am still not sure if he can access my icloud account. Please let me know how to secure my icloud account so that I can make backups and can upload my photos as well.

Secondly also let me know if I have make an account on his iPhone is there any connectivity between my icloud account and his accounts?

As long as you signed out of iCloud on his phone, and then changed the password, then signed in on your own phone, he has no access to your iCloud.

So I just came across this issue for the 1st time a few days ago when giving my aunt an iPhone 5 (iOS 9.2.1) that I got from a friend.  I Googled a bit of info on a fix and couldn't find anything that would work.  I ended up fixing the issue myself and I'm sure this fix will work for others as long as you have another device on the same iOS.  I originally backed up all her data from an Android phone to the iPhone 5 using the move to iOS option.  This is not mandatory.  I then backed up the iPhone 5 to iTunes.  After that, I restored that back up to an iPhone 4S running the same software version.  I was able to log into iCloud, turn it on, as well as the find my iPhone option on the 4S phone.  I then backed up the 4S to iTunes, and then restored that back up to the iPhone 5.  After the back up was finished, the phone was now connected to and asked me to log into the iCloud account associated with the iPhone 5.

sounds like you know a snake