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Unable to Login to Apple ID on Big Sur

I recently updated to Big Sur and have been unable to sign into my Apple ID.


When I go to System Preferences -> Sign in, my log in doesn't exactly fail, it just loops me back to the beginning and asks me to enter my Apple ID and password 11.0.1 again. No error message.


I first noticed the problem when Messages asked me to sign in after the update. I tried logging out of my Apple ID from System Preferences, but have not been unable to log back in.


It still works on my phone, and I have confirmed the login/password I am using is correct. I have tried restarting.

I'm on a MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015) running Big Sur 11.0.1 (20B29).


Thanks for the help, I'm out of ideas.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.0

Posted on Nov 16, 2020 6:28 PM

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Posted on Sep 23, 2021 12:45 PM

For anyone still having this issue, I have the answer. It's a keychains problem. Plug this into terminal, then hit enter, input your laptop PW and hit enter. Your computer will restart. Also make sure you have all programs closed but terminal before this.


sudo -v ; mkdir ~/Library/KeychainsBackup ; mv ~/Library/Keychains/* ~/Library/KeychainsBackup ; sudo reboot


This worked for me.

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Sep 23, 2021 12:45 PM in response to zachg221

For anyone still having this issue, I have the answer. It's a keychains problem. Plug this into terminal, then hit enter, input your laptop PW and hit enter. Your computer will restart. Also make sure you have all programs closed but terminal before this.


sudo -v ; mkdir ~/Library/KeychainsBackup ; mv ~/Library/Keychains/* ~/Library/KeychainsBackup ; sudo reboot


This worked for me.

Dec 31, 2020 5:17 PM in response to zachg221

I had the exact same problem after upgrading from Mojave to Big Sur. Apple support had me boot in recovery mode and re-install Big Sur (ug). Hours later... same problem occurred. Decided to research it myself, and after trying a few things this one worked for me:


  • Make a copy of your own /Users/username/Library/Keychains folder (like on your Desktop)
  • Delete all files in /Users/username/Library/Keychains leaving the folder empty
  • Restart


I forget where I got this from, but huge kudos to that person for posting it.


(If it didn't work I'm sorry... and now put the folder back in place)


Nov 16, 2020 6:57 PM in response to zachg221

Are you running any anti - virus programs? Using a VPN?


Try setting up another admin user account in System Preferences/Users & Groups to see if the same problem continues. Also try the Safe Mode. 


Isolating an issue by using another user account   


Safe Mode - About.       


If it works in the Safe Mode, try running this program when booted normally and then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor.  Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read. Click “Share Report” button in the toolbar, select “Copy to Clipboard” and then paste into a reply. This will show what is running on your computer. No personal information is shown. If the log won’t post, try posting it in Pastebin and provide a link in a reply. After pasting the report in a PasteBin page, go to the top of the page, and copy the address in the URL bar. Paste that in a new reply.        Pastebin.    


Etrecheck – System Information.      


Web site version if required.  https://etrecheck.com

Nov 17, 2020 6:09 AM in response to zachg221

You are welcome. I don't see anything in the report that normally causes problems. Make sure the VPN is off. Something to try.


Do a backup, preferably 2 backups on 2 separate drives.


Quit System Preferences.


Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J.  When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder.  Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist.  Move the .plist to your desktop.


Restart the computer, open the application, and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.


If the application is the same, return the .plist to where you got it from, overwriting the newer one.


Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this.

Apr 13, 2021 12:32 PM in response to zachg221

iMessages suddenly stopped working for me (MacAir, Big Sur 11.2.3). Symptom: instead of logging in automatically, suddenly demanded I log in and refused to accept my Apple ID/Password combo (even changed password, no use). After trying everything from rebooting to changing proxy settings on WiFi network, did this:

  • Opened iMessage on iPhone;
  • Deleted text messages from non-normal sources (e.g., "your package is on the way" or "report your COVID vaccination symptoms"
  • Rebooted MacAir
  • iMessage happily popped open on reboot and worked!


Lost a few texts in the iMessage history on the MacAir in the interim, but small price to pay . . .

Don't understand it. Sharing the fix that worked for me all the same!


Nov 16, 2020 10:41 PM in response to Eric Root

Wow, thanks for such a detailed reply!


I am running Malwarebytes and occasionally need to use a Citrix VPN for work.

I was able to successfully sign while on a different user account, but was not able to sign in while in safe mode.


Here's a PasteBin with the EtreCheck Report: https://pastebin.com/LUgf98rn


I'm slightly embarrassed by the amount of major issues, but am planning on upgrading to the new Air as soon as 3rd party reviews come out. Thank you again fro the help!

Dec 18, 2020 7:14 AM in response to zachg221

I have this problem or one very similar. I have two Macs on Big Sur, a MacBook and Mac Mini. The MacBook has been on Big Sur since November ands been signed into iCloud fine. The Mac Mini just got upgraded a little over a week ago, and I also just upgraded it to 11.1 last night...but I think it's never been completely signed in... since I noticed this problem it's been half-signed in... it has my account, some things are working, but it says "Update Apple ID Settings" and "Some account services will not be available until you sign in again." (Specifically, I updated Server.app and am trying to get a new APNS cert and that's failing and I think this is why.) I can sign out, then sign in again, but it succeeds but comes back to the same message above, I can't ever sign in fully.


I started looking into the logs, and found this, which is probably indicative of the problem, but I'm not sure where to go from here... obviously something's failing, but the "(null)" looks like it should not be there:


default 09:55:37.674020-0500 akd Saving account <redacted>@icloud.com (<redacted GUID>)…

default 09:55:37.674040-0500 akd Attempting to perform block in persona: (null)

default 09:55:37.674055-0500 akd No persona ID on account proceeding without setting context.

default 09:55:37.674078-0500 akd Performing block within persona Invalid

default 09:55:37.674222-0500 akd Performed block within persona Invalid

default 09:55:37.674248-0500 akd Saving of <redacted>@icloud.com (<redacted GUID>) succeeed!

default 09:55:37.674314-0500 akd Successfully checked in with IDMS.


(Somewhat amusingly, the three "e"s in "succeeed!" there are in the log, not my own typo, I checked!)


Another interesting side effect, when I sign out of iCloud on the Mini, my MacBook disables iCloud Keychain and I have to re-enable it... and, the first time this happened I got a message (on the MacBook) about iCloud now using end-to-end encryption and that it will use my password instead of my iCloud security code (perhaps relevant, I never had an iCloud security code for iCloud Keychain, I always used "approve on another device").


I have a feeling this change to encryption mechanisms is also related to my problem, but i have no idea when this changed... with Big Sur 11.0.1? With 11.1? Before then?


I'm going to upgrade the MacBook to 11.1 now and see if that helps anything, but that system is working fine!

Dec 22, 2020 7:35 AM in response to zachg221

I updated about a month ago, and something similar recently started happening to me. At first, it would ask for me to verify my Apple ID for iCloud about once every few days, then daily, and now it loops as you lay out here. But it seems to be for iCloud preferences only. Facetime and Messages do not require me to log in again and are operating just fine. Screenshot of dialogue attached.




[Image Edited by Moderator to Remove Personal Information]

Jan 27, 2021 9:51 AM in response to tcantin

Thank you! This is the answer I was looking for. Kudos to the original poster, as well. Even Apple Support was saying I needed to do a OS reinstall. It is clearly an account issue, since logging in from additional accounts was not issue. This solved the problem and I am back in business using my Mac as it was intended. Thank you.


Feb 16, 2021 9:55 PM in response to tcantin

Hello at tcantin,


Thank you so much for sharing this. I tried everything and this is what worked. I had to find the library first in and that proved to be difficult. I had to do some research as well and turns out that for some reason the more recent OS's hide it. In order to remedy that go to the user folder and then go to "view" on the top menu then "show view options" and then click on "show library folder." Then I was able to follow your steps.


Thanks again,


May 10, 2021 2:13 PM in response to Eric Root

Hello, and thanks for taking the time to read this:


I have the same Apple ID sign-in verification error, after upgrading to Big Sur. I tried the safe boot suggestion, but that did not work. Interestingly enough, I did create an alternate Admin account for troubleshooting, and am able to sign into my Apple ID on that account. After logging out, restarting, and logging back into my main user account, I am still unable to sign in to my Apple ID. I also tried deleting the Library Keychain folder (making a copy to my desktop), restarting, but that did not work either.


Since you recommend running Etrecheck, if the sign-in is allowed in safe mode only, I have not tried that suggestion. I would appreciate any help.


Best

Unable to Login to Apple ID on Big Sur

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