Diver_Down Author

Level 1

33 points

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

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

Top-ranking reply

efwolf359

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Aug 31, 2019 1:37 AM

slight update, I was also advised on a workaround to allow me to access my iTunes library until they fix the problem.

all you need to do is to create a new Apple ID WITHOUT two factor authentication. In iTunes go to home sharing & sign out of your existing ID. Sign into home sharing with the newly created ID (just in the home sharing section, nowhere else) then finally turn on home sharing on the Apple TV and use the newly created Apple ID and it will allow you to stream your library as before.

hope this helps somebody

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141 replies

mufc76

Level 1

4 points

Sep 25, 2019 7:28 PM in response to jladams97-apple

mate! It worked-thanks so much for this link. I have been trying everything I could find for about a week now. I followed each step in your link and can say that absolutely the ‘waited several minutes’ part is also crucial. I think I just wasn’t being patient enough!

i used this process to setup 2 x ATV.3 and they can now display photos from iCloud again. Cheers!

Tummies

Level 1

14 points

Sep 26, 2019 4:23 AM in response to Diver_Down

I'm having this exact issue on my 3rd Gen Apple TV. I've reset my password and it still doesn't work. I have two other 3rd gen apple tvs in my home that work. I'm afraid to sign out of those in fear I won't be able to log back into them. I can airplay from my mac to the apple tv in question without a problem but going the other way it doesn't work. This started happening over the last few weeks. Not sure of the exact date because I haven't been trying to access anything through home sharing.

So i'm able sign in under iTunes on the my apple TV fine. iCloud gave me an issue as it didn't like the @ symbol in my password from the main screen of letters. I had to actually choose the option at the top to switch to symbols and pick the @ symbol from there. Some weird stuff is going on.

I've done as much as I can think of like use another wifi network in the home, reboot my mac, disable/enable homesharing on my mac, factory reset my apple tv, put the verification code at the end of my password. No luck. Some help would be great.

Diver_Down Author

Level 1

33 points

Sep 27, 2019 6:36 AM in response to Diver_Down

I received a call from the latest "senior" support person who is handling my case to inform me that Apple has released a new update "that fixed the issue." I installed the update, and the issue still exist. I'm not quite sure where he received his information from or what testing Apple did to legitimately test and validate the latest update resolved the issue, but based on my experience there is no way this could have been tested and deemed as remediating the issue.

The update does successfully deploy additional features geared at generating additional revenue for Apple with the ATV+. I question whether Apple is really doing any work on resolving this issue. Apple could have restored this function if they were committed to customer service, albeit would have been at the expense of not affording users of the Gen 2 and 3 version of ATV the "privilege" of watching Apple's new content.

watsontr

Level 1

8 points

Oct 5, 2019 1:08 AM in response to pythonguy88

I have two gen one ATVs and the problem is exactly the same. Foolishly I thought the software update would help. Alas no. If you can login via new account with out the two factor business than surely this is just a server verification screw up by Apple? I can’t believe you guys with the more current devices are being dealt with so shabbily by Apple support

Oct 5, 2019 7:10 PM in response to tandartsvisser

I've been having this problem for about 3 weeks now on one of my 3 Apple TV model 3's. Last week there was a new tvOS release, but it did not fix the problem. I accidentally signed out of a second one, and now cannot sign back in, so I'm down to one working Apple TV out of 3. (Do not sign out of a working Apple TV model 3.). The hack of appending the verification code to your password DOES NOT WORK. I've done the factory reset, both on the device and attached to a Mac using a micro-USB cable. Nothing works. This should NOT be a difficult problem to fix. It's 100% reproducible. What I can't understand is why anyone would want to buy another AppleTV product from Apple. There are 6 screens of comments on this problem. It's all the same problem.

Ebekman

Level 1

4 points

Oct 8, 2019 7:24 AM in response to jladams97-apple

-so it's good to hear that you have been able to do it in the past

Yes, work great. "Once a upon time .... I controled all my home, then a big Apple arrives and ....." lol

.... I have found that it is no longer necessary....

Yes, Apple TV now asks for six digits code after the password, but I tryed may times without success, with and w/o the code in the iPhone screen.

I noticed that the code expires every 30sec, then I asks for a new code many times in iPhone until the code changes, them a wrote this new 30sec valid code, after the password. For the iCloud/iTunes logon works all time.

Oct 9, 2019 8:12 AM in response to Ebekman

I tried this. I typed my password without hitting submit and then repeatedly asked for a new verification code until I saw it changed. Then I entered the new verification code and clicked on "submit". It didn't work.

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.

s12dxer

Level 1

4 points

Sep 23, 2019 10:21 AM in response to rentonsa

Same exact issue here on mine.

i think it’s a 3rd gen (A1427).

current software is 7.3.1 (8068)

I also have 2FA on my account, that seems to be the Hang-up on the home sharing.

Diver_Down Author

Level 1

33 points

Aug 29, 2019 11:45 AM in response to Urquhart1244

Thanks for your thoughts, this is a much better explanation as to why this needed to occur than I received from the Apple support team. With that said as I noted above this was one of the steps that was attempted and it did not resolve the issue.

vazandrew

Level 8

40,834 points

Aug 29, 2019 2:53 PM in response to Tvhelp999

That would be incorrect, it is working fine on my system and this forum alone would be full of reports if that were the case.

If you have an older device then you need to make sure you are following the steps outlined above exactly, as that is the only way to sign in on those models.

Aug 29, 2019 3:08 PM in response to Tvhelp999

Just to add as well my ATV is logged in tunes, but it comes up with error message when attempting to log in to home Sharing. Error message saying incorrect password..

it’s the same issue with Logging into iCloud on ATV ive done the above steps whilst logging in and get the same error message

Thanks in Advance

Diver_Down Author

Level 1

33 points

Aug 29, 2019 3:50 PM in response to vazandrew

They allege there is a ticket open with the engineering team and that engineering is looking into it. I originally reported this on Monday, August 26, 2019 and spoke with the senior support person who is my primary contact for this issue yesterday. The only thing the engineering team requested was a picture of the error on my TV. So I sent it to them.

I'm not sure how this helps them in any way, but...

Meladeo

Level 1

8 points

Aug 30, 2019 7:46 AM in response to Tvhelp999

I've got exactly the same issue on my 3rd Gen Apple TV box. Tried everything but just can't get past "Unable to Sign In" message. iTunes logged in ok, Home Share just doesn't want to know :-(

I also can't see the Apple TV box in my device list on my iPhone and makes me think it's not registered correctly. I don't understand why it's not listed when I've logged into iTunes on it.

Something's not right.....

Meladeo

Level 1

8 points

Aug 30, 2019 10:43 AM in response to Tvhelp999

I've just done a complete restore on my 3rd Gen Apple TV box - A1427. I'm running 7.3.1 (8068) which I assume is the latest OS as it's telling me it is and I can't update any further.

I've signed into iTunes ok and it shows I'm signed in

I can run the TV apps listed on the home screen and it's all very quick and easy

It won't let me access iCloud - I get "Unable to Sign In".....

It won't let me access Home Sharing - I get "Unable to Sign In"....

It does not show up on my AppleID device list....

I'm stumped!

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Apple TV Won't Login to HomeShare