can't connect iCloud account in Apple TV

I'd agree with @jmuelhaupt

"you might be asked to add your six-digit verification code to the end of your password when signing in"

but he/she wasn't and this response implies they never would be

"when using an older device you aren't going to be prompted for the code and need to add it to the password instead"

Also I even went to www.apple.com/support/icloud, as suggested on the TV image, to see if there was something glaringly obvious about sign in issues and there's not and most options seem to take you, firstly, to Check iCloud services or make a call to apple support with the best option probably being Apple Communities but then it defaults to iCloud forums. So the link is actually pretty useless and they'd be better off stating something more useful than a generic error message imho.

It's not clear what you're trying to do, but if you're to get iCloud Photo Sharing to work, you should be able to enter your Apple ID then your password and then after that your 6-digit code. As I've stated here, I have found that I must keep the 6-digit ID visible while I enter it, submit it, and have it validated by Apple in order for it to work.

Right: it's a known issue that at this time there is no way to get Home Sharing to work on 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TVs. See the thread at https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250592472 and feel free to pipe in there!

The limit is 30 seconds, but that is usually exceeded when one enters the password and code together.

When you just input the password and hit submit it won’t be able to connect because it wasn’t able to sign in properly. Likewise, when the limit is exceeded

What you are now experiencing is a new error message, and is a separate issue (likely related to the password change you recently did). Best to contact iTunes.

Well, then within at most a couple of hours of my going through all the gyrations I previously detailed on one of my 2 3rd generation Apple TVs, it broke and I was once again at the point where I could access iCloud Photos and see the shared albums, but the actual photos in them would not display. So I tried my normal approach: reboot. No luck. So more gyrations: turn iCloud Photo Sharing off, wait a couple of minutes, turn it back on, wait some more, go into iCloud Photos again and that worked. Then I was able to get the screen saver working again. I haven't checked the other Apple TV again. While I'm glad that I can at least get to my shared photos once again, it certainly appears that this is going to continue breaking on a regular basis and now it's harder to fix than it used to be. Ugh.

This is a user forum, Apple does not participate here. The support article linked earlier in the thread does state that things need to be entered differently when using an older model.

Hi, I've seen .. Two-Factor Authentication in the old software works or not.

In my two ATV3 rev.a itunes ask the code, but in icloud not.

Yeah, unfortunately this is a known issue. See https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250592472.

The 3rd Gen is now 7 years old, yet it is still being supported. However the hardware isn’t capable of running the same software as newer models so it requires signing in differently. Apple has merely run into an issue with authentication but they are continuing to work on it. You are free to use another platform but I think you will find they don’t have anywhere near the same level of support.

No, at this point they have updated Apple TV 3rd generation so that it handles authentication exactly the same way that other devices handle it. After that update, the problem was that they messed something up with how iCloud Photos work, but it now appears they have fixed it.

I’m having the issue signing into home share. It’s a problem Apple acknowledged when I called them on it and it’s annoying that I can’t connect to my home share.

I am signed in the iTunes Store just fine, but when I get to the 6 digit code, it tells me my username or password is incorrect or can’t be found.

Using a Gen 3.

This isn’t working for me like it has for some, I’m getting a password error with the 6 digit code added to the end of my password. Any other ideas? This is getting frustrating, thanks!

It seems this is a new error message for an known situation:

If you have Two-Factor Authentication for your Apple ID, and an older device, then the sign-in procedure is a bit special:

What if I use two-factor authentication on a device running older software?

If you use two-factor authentication with devices running older OS versions—like an Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation)—you might be asked to add your six-digit verification code to the end of your password when signing in. Get your verification code* from a trusted device running iOS 9 and later or OS X El Capitan and later, or have it sent to your trusted phone number. Then type your password followed by the six-digit verification code directly into the password field.

There is a time limit before the code expires, so it is best to request your code (or a new code*) after entering the characters of your password, to use those precious seconds effectively for just the code.

This isn’t working for me. I changed my Apple ID password a couple of days ago and haven’t been able to access iCloud on ATV3 since. I’ve added the 6 digit verification code after the password (it took about 9 seconds) and it just says it’s the wrong username or password.

Anything else to try??

That worked just fine. A huge thanks for providing solution.

I hope our friends at Apple read this and improve their instructions: When I entered just the password as usual, the instructions on Apple TV directed me to https://support.apple.com/icloud which provided no help at all.