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My Apple Watch keeps asking for my Apple ID password

My watch keeps asking for my Apple ID password then I enter it and it keeps asking


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Apple Watch

Posted on Sep 22, 2019 5:44 PM

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Posted on Dec 17, 2019 9:04 AM

I have the apple watch version 4 or what eve the newest one is, and it keeps asking me for my apple ID even if I just put it in. I went into settings and there is no option to enter my password to reset. How do I fix this?

373 replies

Jan 9, 2020 4:43 PM in response to mcrina

My watch is asking me to sign into an Apple ID that does not belong to me! No-one has had access to my watch or phone to be able to even try and enter a different Apple ID.

When trying what you suggest above is presuming that it is my Apple ID, and has stated that it will get back to me within 7 days when I will be able to reset the Apple ID which does not belong to me!

I have had various problems with my Apple ID since the last 3 updates on XR phone, and finally had to change it to the one I have now! Now my watch is asking me to log into an Apple ID that I have never seen before!

Jan 11, 2020 9:11 PM in response to mcrina

What I learned is when your watch ask you for your password, press password on your watch I think then it ask you to choose method of entry and I choose keyboard. Make sure you have your phone near because BRIEFLY a notification will display at the top of your phone to enter your password. Enter it and you’re done has been my experience. One thing I’ve noticed, I charged my phone and watch in the same location but for some reason I started charging my phone in a different room. That’s when I started getting request to enter my password on my watch. I’ve since started back charging my phone and watch in the same room and I have not gotten that password request since. I don’t know if that’s coincidence or charging in close proximity makes a difference.

Jan 12, 2020 10:01 AM in response to mcrina

Mine is asking for a password from an account that is not mine also. I bought a 2nd hand iPhone about 7 years ago from somebody and it is their apple id account that my Apple watch is wanting a password from. I haven't had that particular phone for years now and definitely not whilst owning the Apple Watch. Absolutely crazy. I've removed and reinstalled any old apps on my phone in case that helped, signed out of Itunes and it still is happening. I hope Apple do something soon as it's getting real frustrating.

Jan 13, 2020 1:53 AM in response to mcrina

Happy to report that I've solved this issue, at least for my situation (Apple Watch keeps asking for a password for an old or unused Apple ID, and after entering the password, prompts for an authorization code from "other devices running iOS 9...", but that code never arrives to those other devices).


This requires that you know the password or are able to reset the password. If you're seeing a popup for someone else's Apple ID or one that you no longer have access to, you may need to call Apple as that's a different problem altogether.


My particular situation involves an old Apple ID that I use only occasionally on the App Store in the country where I currently reside when an app isn't available on the US Store. I don't have this Apple ID set up as a primary or secondary ID on any device. And that's exactly what I needed to do to fix the annoying popup on my Apple Watch: set it up on a Mac, iPad or iPhone as a secondary Apple ID. After that's done, you'll get the prompt to allow the sign-in on your Apple Watch (via a code or a simple "allow" prompt), and the popups will stop.


To do this on an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts > Add Account > iCloud. Enter the Apple ID that's bugging your Watch followed by the password. Then give it a moment to sync with the iCloud server and you're done. The next time the prompt pops up on your Apple Watch, you should be able to get through the password entry and end the nagging.


On a Mac, it's System Preferences > Internet Accounts > iCloud.


After you get through the password entry on your Watch and are satisfied that it's not coming back, you can go back in and delete the old Apple ID account from your device, or just leave it there and turn off whichever iCloud elements (notes, contacts, etc) you don't want to use (that way it'll be ready to go should the problem recur).


Again, this will only work if you know the password. If not, you need to resolve that first. If it's your old Apple ID and you don't know the security questions, it might be possible to get past that step by resetting the questions or setting up two-factor auth. If it's someone else's Apple ID, most likely you have an app that was downloaded using that ID somewhere on your device that you bought or inherited from them. So you can try to track the app down, and maybe that alone will stop the incessant prompts on your Watch.


I hope this can help everyone work around the annoying bug.


Jan 14, 2020 10:18 AM in response to lhbari

But I resolved the issue by temporarily making that the Apple ID on one of my Macs, so the verification code went to that Mac, and then switching the Mac back to my primary Apple ID. Slightly painful, but so nice to get everything back to normal. I agree, though that Apple should fix the bug so we don't have to go through these sorts of fixes.

Jan 14, 2020 11:00 AM in response to lhbari

lhbari wrote:

But I resolved the issue by temporarily making that the Apple ID on one of my Macs, so the verification code went to that Mac, and then switching the Mac back to my primary Apple ID. Slightly painful, but so nice to get everything back to normal. I agree, though that Apple should fix the bug so we don't have to go through these sorts of fixes.

It's actually not necessary to sign out of your primary Apple ID. You could also make it a secondary ID under System Preferences > Internet Accounts to get the login auth.

Jan 20, 2020 2:39 AM in response to uro111

Mine had stopped doing it for over a week I think, i was at home a lot on wifi. Then on Saturday I went out for several hours to a nearby city & was fine, no requests, I went out again on Sunday for several hours to another town, opposite direction from the day before. I’d been out for a. Purple of hours & up pops the request, I mostly ignored it, this evening it’s done it again.

I’m not doing any more fixes, Apple can fix it.

its an old obsolete I’D it’s crazy!

Jan 23, 2020 4:16 AM in response to saphir2904

An iCloud ID is and Apple ID. So is your iTunes ID. They're both Apple IDs, just used for different purposes in your case (and mine). What you need to do is sign into that iTunes Apple ID under Settings > Passwords & Accounts (iPhone) or System Preferences > Internet Accounts (Mac), and then wait for the popup again. Enter your password, authenticate with a code, and the annoyances will stop.

My Apple Watch keeps asking for my Apple ID password

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