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Apple TV Won't Login to HomeShare

I am receiving the following error on my 3rd Gen Apple TV:


“Unable to Sign In

The Apple ID you entered couldn’t be found or your password was incorrect.

Please try again.

To change or reset the password for your Apple ID, go to http://iforgot.apple.com on your computer.”


Fact: Apple released new iOS code and my Apple TV can no longer log in to

HomeShare

Fact: I am able to log into iTunes (so Apple can sell me stuff)

Fact: My Apple TV is on Ethernet (hard wired, not WiFi)

Fact: I can connect to HomeShare with my Windows devices and my other

Apple devices (iPhones, Macs, iPads) so it is a fact the issue is not

the ID or Password.

Fact: Apple support person requested that I log into HomeShare with a

two-factor code at the end of my password

Fact: I did and received the same error message

Fact: They asked me to try again and requested a screen sharing session

Fact: I performed the same actions again and got the same results (even with

"supervision")

Fact: I was told to restore the Apple TV to factory defaults

Fact: I did and still get the same error message

Fact: This was escalated to a senior support person who told me that it was

a server issue at Apple, and it was only affecting Apple TVs from being able to

login to HomeShare

Fact: I explained how this is not possible and that I didn't believe him

Fact: The senior support person gave me what he said was his direct dial

with his extension

Fact: The number he provided does not work. When you dial the number, it

asks for the extension followed by the #. When you do that, it then asks for

the same information a second time. When you do that the message is "We're

sorry Apple is now closed" regardless of the time of day that you call and

refers you do a different number for support.

Fact: I go through to a different senior support person who asked if I was

still having the issue

Fact: I stated that if I wasn’t, I would not have called back to Apple

48-hours after I reported the issue and had not heard anything back from Apple

Fact: The senior support person said that engineering has requested a video

or photo of the error message and asked me to take a picture of my TV screen

(above)

Fact: I took the picture and received an error message on my iPad

"Unable to Upload File"

Fact: The senior person asked if there was an error code or anything more

descriptive. I told him no, that I read him the exact code.

Fact: this person asked me to email the file to myself and then upload it. I

did and it failed.

Fact: the utility states it supports up to 50GB of files but could not

upload a 2.3MB file


Is anyone else having this issue? If so, were you able to resolve it and if

you did, how?


I'd like to get this fixed.


Apple TV

Posted on Aug 28, 2019 7:58 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Aug 29, 2019 10:34 AM

Users that have two-factor authentication active for their Apple ID, may be asked to sign in with a verification code. Unfortunately, the software on the Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation) haven’t been updated for this newer procedure. To sign in, users would need to append the code to their password, together in the password field. There is a time limit. To avoid exceeding the time limit (only 30 seconds!), you need to enter the password, then request a new code, and add it to the password; then submit. That way the time for entering the password part isn’t counted.


https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250420575

Similar questions

141 replies

Oct 14, 2019 2:17 PM in response to Diver_Down

For future troubleshooting:

I notice that nowhere in your entire list do you mention resetting or testing your router. Words such as "firewall", "blocked ports" come to mind. Saying it works fine for other things is meaningless.

Final step: Ask a neighbour to send any sort of message with attachment to Apple, using **your wifi*** with **his** device.

This would eliminate problems with your router. If it is your router, factory reset it.


Oct 14, 2019 2:17 PM in response to niklasgustafsson

This forum is run by Apple but it's not a place that they use to talk to users. They don't look in here and it's not a place to report problems. It's only here to allow other users to talk to each other. If you want Apple to do something file a report in the Feedback system. That way you're at least talking to Apple and not us other poor users.

Oct 30, 2019 12:06 PM in response to Diver_Down

Ok Guys. Help me out please. Today, (Oct 30), I had to newly install a 2nd Gen Apple TV in my home network. It has the latest Software update, (Apple TV 6.2.1 = iOS 7.1.2). I went through the known issues and went online, found this thread and while reading through it managed to log in to my iCloud account and to my iTune account, (they are the same account but went through both processes as is required by the interface). Finally I came to HomeShare and I'm having issues even though the thread says Apple resolved the issue around Oct 9th. When I try to turn on HomeShare I get the message of if I want to use my currently signed on iCloud account. I say yes, confirm the ID and then it tries to log on, (without asking for a password). That fails, with the now familiar screen, so going back to the sign on screen I choose the option of using a new Apple ID and I go ahead and choose that which takes me to the familiar write in the ID and password screens. On the password screen I write the password, generate a verification code from my iPhone and append the result to the password. Then I press RETURN and it fails. I cannot get HomeShare activated. What I'm I doing wrong?. As I said before, I logged on to my iCloud account and to my iTunes account successfully on the ATV. I'm running iTunes 12.8.2.3 on the iMac with the Library I wish to share. The iMac is running macOS 10.13.6 (High Sierra), with the latest security update and my iPhone is running iOS 12.4.1. I'm also running another ATV in the network, (3rd Gen), with no issues. Any suggestions?

Nov 1, 2019 6:46 PM in response to dnovo

Success! Finally I was able to connect to HomeShare. It turns out that since a while ago Apple requires s refresh of your iTunes credentials every month or so. I had not noticed that the computer where the iTunes Library, to be accessed by the Apple TV, was located was requesting a credentials verification. Once I verified the credentials I was able to connect, not using the option of using the already logged on iTunes credentials, (that failed), but going the route of choosing another account and putting in the same account, using the password and appended verification code, (generated locally by my iPhone). So, another thing to check is to make sure your iTunes credentials are valid in the computer housing the library you want to connect to.

Nov 13, 2019 7:23 AM in response to Diver_Down

I am having the same problem with signing in to Home Sharing after updating to Catalina. I have a gen 2 Apple TV.

I have tried everything Apple Support said to try. Still no luck. Spoke to a senior advisor who said my gen 2 Apple TV is obsolete and simply needs to be replaced. Senior Advisor said Apple Engineers are aware of the problem but that no fix is in the works anytime soon. He recommended buying a new Apple TV as I had received lots of use out of my old gen 2 Apple TV. It looks like I am stuck with having to buy a new Apple TV. I hope it solves the problem.

Apple TV Won't Login to HomeShare

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