Kolton Mayberry

Q: Home Sharing - A Story of Struggle

Home Sharing is supposed to be simple.  You enable it on your iTunes account and you should be able to access your iTunes library on any other device you're logged into.  Except when it decides that isn't going to happen anymore.

 

I've used Home Sharing for months.  It's worked on my iPhone, iPad, iMac (2014), and Apple TV.  When I got a new iPhone, I tried to re-enabled Home Sharing on my Remote App, so I could use it with my Apple TV.  The error I received was "Home Sharing is currently unavailable. Please try again later."

 

I did some research, and all the documentation is telling me to go to iTunes, sign in with my iCloud account, and then go to File>Home Sharing>Turn on Home Sharing.  I did this, and when I do, it prompts me for my iCloud credentials a second time.  When I enter them, it accepts them then returns an error, "Home Sharing could not be activated because the Apple ID or password was incorrect."

 

That's the interesting part, if I actually type my credentials wrong, the box just gives me red text that says "Your login information was incorrect." .. So I know I'm typing it correctly when it takes it.  But it's still "wrong".  The error message is either incorrect, or it is another problem in the authentication path that isn't my actual username or password.

 

If I go to any other device and try to enable Home Sharing, I have similar results. 

 

So, I went to support.apple.com and put in a phone service request.  They called me right away and then asked me to choose some waiting music.  Then they hung up on me. 

 

So, I went back and tried to submit my ticket again and now it says "We could not complete your request because of an error.  Please try again later." and there is a string of what looks like Hex code under it.

 

I have a few lingering suspicions on what this could be and I'm going to try them, but I'm posting here to chronicle this situation and, if I figure it out or if I end up actually getting help, it'll be something that exists on the internet that other people might be able to find when they search for these errors.

Mac Pro 2.99 8-Core 16GB RAM / Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.2)

Posted on Sep 25, 2016 12:04 PM

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Q: Home Sharing - A Story of Struggle

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  • by Alice Plebuch,

    Alice Plebuch Alice Plebuch Sep 30, 2016 10:19 AM in response to Kolton Mayberry
    Level 1 (44 points)
    Sep 30, 2016 10:19 AM in response to Kolton Mayberry

    I have the same problem and have tried all the suggestions to no avail.  Hopefully engineering will get back to someone with an answer.

  • by brightonjohn,

    brightonjohn brightonjohn Sep 30, 2016 1:07 PM in response to Alice Plebuch
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 30, 2016 1:07 PM in response to Alice Plebuch

    Exactly the same problem for me. Been through all of the support options listed above (they told me that this was a really odd problem as if they hadn't come across it before!!) and still no solution. There doesn't seem to be an option to set up 'home share' in iTunes that I can see. At least then it might allow for the home share system server to reset the user name and password settings. As it is a seperately paid for system apple really should be treating this with a little more urgency than I am experiencing and that certainly seems to be the problem shared by others here.

     

    And yes, mine stopped allowing me to turn it on after I had changed the password to improve the security. I just wish I could remember now my old paswword. LOL

  • by Nealf,

    Nealf Nealf Sep 30, 2016 1:19 PM in response to brightonjohn
    Level 1 (63 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 30, 2016 1:19 PM in response to brightonjohn

    Brightonjohn,

     

    If it makes you feel any better, I have all my old passwords because they are saved in 1Password, and the old passwords do not work either.

     

    There is something going on different than the password being wrong because there is a different message when the password is typed wrong.  I discovered this when I tried my old passwords. That is when I got the red message below.

    Red ID or Password incorrect.png

    On the other hand,  when the correct passcode was used, I got a different message. See below.

    Home sharing cannot be activated.png

  • by gmbmke,

    gmbmke gmbmke Sep 30, 2016 1:39 PM in response to brightonjohn
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 30, 2016 1:39 PM in response to brightonjohn

    Alas, I don't think remembering your old password would do much good.  I tried resetting mine back to the previous one, but I found you cannot change your password back to one you have used in the past year.  I was able to transfer non-iTunes-purchased videos to my wife's account and set up Home Sharing using her AppleID.  She isn't into changing her passwords very often . . . in this case fortunately.  We can now at least watch our home videos of the grandsons and any movies ripped from DVD's.  I say this only to bring home the point that the fault does not seem to be in the hardware or network. 

  • by brightonjohn,

    brightonjohn brightonjohn Sep 30, 2016 1:42 PM in response to Nealf
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 30, 2016 1:42 PM in response to Nealf

    Agreed - I've seen both of those screens under the same circumstances.

  • by drjamison,

    drjamison drjamison Sep 30, 2016 1:47 PM in response to gmbmke
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 30, 2016 1:47 PM in response to gmbmke

    Yes, gmbmke is correct. I was able to to view some of my movies, from my PC to Apple TV, by using my wife's account. (Which doesn't make sense, as I've changed my ID and password like a new person, and still doesn't work, but hers does on the same computer?) Once you do anything with your Apple ID, (ID or password), Home Share breaks and you can never turn it back on. Been on tech support twice and tried all of the stuff above. It's some kind of locked share file or something. that doesn't get cleared when you mess with your ID. Still waiting for answer from Engineering too, but not holding my breath.

  • by brightonjohn,

    brightonjohn brightonjohn Sep 30, 2016 1:59 PM in response to Kolton Mayberry
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 30, 2016 1:59 PM in response to Kolton Mayberry

    I am now formally asking if anybody at apple or itunes is reading this forum and is prepared to give an honest appraisal of what has gone wrong and what measures are being taken to resolve this situation. Remember this is a service for which we pay and it compliments, not replaces nor is replaced by the music membership subscription.

  • by joakes66,

    joakes66 joakes66 Sep 30, 2016 6:38 PM in response to Kolton Mayberry
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 30, 2016 6:38 PM in response to Kolton Mayberry

    Add me to the list. two different minis see each others shared files in itunes, but apple tv 4 gets error trying to turn on home sharing. sure glad to see it isnt just me...

  • by Mspain87,

    Mspain87 Mspain87 Sep 30, 2016 9:43 PM in response to Kolton Mayberry
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 30, 2016 9:43 PM in response to Kolton Mayberry

    Can't turn on home sharing at all... Are we still looking for an answer on this?

  • by brightonjohn,

    brightonjohn brightonjohn Oct 1, 2016 4:06 AM in response to Kolton Mayberry
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iTunes
    Oct 1, 2016 4:06 AM in response to Kolton Mayberry

    I seem to recall, and I have since checked, that this used to be called 'iMatch' and I pay ~£22 a year for it. Now, if you go into iTunes>Store you can still find iTunes Match and clicking there allows you to 'add this computer to iCloud to share music with your other iCloud devices. You will also get access to your music in iCloud from this computer.'

     

    I am now rather confused as this allowed me to sign in and add each computer. This is still not the same as home share I think??? Anybody help me with this please?

  • by KD0000,

    KD0000 KD0000 Oct 1, 2016 11:12 AM in response to Kolton Mayberry
    Level 1 (22 points)
    Apple TV
    Oct 1, 2016 11:12 AM in response to Kolton Mayberry

    Exact same issue here, it JUST started after I changed my password (something I do once a year).  HS worked FINE up until then.  This is most definitely a server-side (Apple) issue.

  • by KD0000,

    KD0000 KD0000 Oct 1, 2016 11:21 AM in response to Jim McGowan
    Level 1 (22 points)
    Apple TV
    Oct 1, 2016 11:21 AM in response to Jim McGowan

    re: these two accounts are likely synonymous.

     

    There are, I knew that right from the get-go from seeing same behavior. Also, when I changed my password (something I do once a year) and recycled iCloud on all my devices -- not all them disabled (logged out) of HS.  Some were STILL logged in to HS.  I ended up later logging out of HS on EVERY device in a desperate attempt to see if that would help everything "synch".  It didn't. I think possibly these two systems (iCloud/HS) may have different password requirements, but haven't tested that out yet as really don't feel like going through all that effort of changing and changing password.  I'm just hoping the two systems synch back together.

     

    I don't know why people on here are talking about going to "genius bar".  Thats not going to do anything.  This is definitely a server-side (Apple) issue.

  • by KD0000,

    KD0000 KD0000 Oct 1, 2016 11:24 AM in response to Kolton Mayberry
    Level 1 (22 points)
    Apple TV
    Oct 1, 2016 11:24 AM in response to Kolton Mayberry

    Well, I'm glad lots of other folks are having same exact issue.  This means that we will see a resolution.  As usual, Apple will just fix it quietly without any mention of it...

  • by lynnes6750,

    lynnes6750 lynnes6750 Oct 1, 2016 1:13 PM in response to Kolton Mayberry
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Oct 1, 2016 1:13 PM in response to Kolton Mayberry

    I also have the same issue.  I found it when I tried to set up home sharing on a new laptop.  Hope Apple fixes it soon.

  • by KD0000,

    KD0000 KD0000 Oct 1, 2016 4:27 PM in response to Kolton Mayberry
    Level 1 (22 points)
    Apple TV
    Oct 1, 2016 4:27 PM in response to Kolton Mayberry

    Well, I'm glad lots of other folks are having same exact issue.  This means that we will see a resolution.  As usual, Apple will just fix it quiet.

     

    Its unfortunate that they set you on such a wild goose chase. Restoring all your devices? Even restoring your Timecapsule router?  Come 'on.  They should know that has NOTHING to with this.  They need to FIX their END.

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