How can I resolve Apple Account association issues on my iPhone?

He needs to go through the process again as the device is still attached to his Apple ID.

What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

They can scroll down to the “If you no longer have your iPhone” and follow the steps.

After reading this thread, I spent almost 2.5hrs dealing with Apple Support; first online chat, then a callback from phone support, and finally escalated to their second-tier technical support team...

I was eventually told that this message has to do with Apple's "back end" settings, and had resulted from the Apple ID changeover to Apple Account, and associated major changes in the iOS 18.0.1 update.

They agreed the message is not clear, and said that by selecting Transfer it confirms to Apple that the device is to be associated with the Apple Account being used by the device, which then creates the association in the "back end"; the message should no longer recur. This "back end" is only visible to their second-tier technical support team, so neither the chat support nor the first-tier tech support have the level of access required...

When Cancel is selected; the message will recur after restarting the device, and possibly at other random times.

Hope this helps, and congrats to anyone reading this for choosing the red pill. 😎

I pressed Transfer and it worked. It only happened on my 2018 iPad Pro 12.9" which I think was purchased from Apple as a refurbished unit. It did not happen on our two iPhone 13 Pros or iPhone 14 Pro, both purchased new. I have a theory this only happens with devices which had an ownership transfer. They were legitimately transferred by signing off the Apple ID and registering the new Apple ID, but it seems there is an Apple Account also associated with each device, different from the Apple ID, and that was not transferred. With the nee iOS 18, this is being checked, and we are offered the option to now Transfer the Apple Account. So with a device legitimately transferred, clicking Transfer should resolve the problem.

I think I've now had that error-message 4 or 5 times, and each time I've played safe and clicked 'Cancel', as my phone seems to be working normally.

I've just updated to 18.0.1, and got that message again. This time I tried clicking 'Transfer', and the message went away, curiously with no further dialogs - I was expecting to be asked to choose another account [which I don't have] or perhaps enter a password, but dialog just went.

Again, the phone seems to be working normally. I then did a restart, and this time DIDN'T get that message: I don't know if that was all that was needed, but it seems to have fixed it in the short-term.

I believe I finally have found a solution to this exact issue after my third call to Apple Support. The reason for the pop up "This Device is Already Associated with an Apple Account.....", typically when the phone is shut down and powered up again, is because of one of the apps on your phone was or is shared with another apple account, ie your wife, colleague, etc when it was originally downloaded. For us, selecting either transfer or cancel did not prevent this from happening again. I do believe that the ios 18 series update is also relevant as to why this started happening out of the blue. The time intensive workaround is to start from your home page and one by one, delete the third party non Apple apps on the phone, then immediately go to App store and reload that app (data is saved on each app). Once you have done that for home page, shut the phone down and restart it to assess if the pop up recurs. If it does not, this should be resolved. If happens again, go to your second page and repeat the process for each non native Apple app. Eventually, you will have stumbled upon the app causing this pop up, and it should not recur. Takes a while, but it's the only approach that worked for us. Prior to this process, go to settings, apps, app store, scroll down and turn off app updates (automatic updates), then can turn it back on after you have resolved the pop up issue and reloaded your apps, as this may be contributing as well. Hope this helps as it's been a very annoying issue.

I have been getting this pop up on my recently purchased refurbished ipad. I found this article when searching and when I followed the steps on my Macbook, I found several of my old phones and ipads still associated with my account even though I had removed them from my account using all the steps for resetting a device. View and remove your devices that are associated with your Apple Account for purchases - Apple Support

He may have signed his account out of that phone, but I don't think he has removed/deleted it from his Apple ID account yet. His account should have a list of devices still associated with his ID and he needs to remove your phone from that list. There is nothing you can do on your end other than ask him to look again.

Refer to this support article about that message —> View and remove your devices that are associated with your Apple Account for purchases - Apple Support

‘When you try to associate a device that was previously associated, you might notice a message that says, “This device is associated with another Apple Account. You cannot associate this device with another Apple Account for [number] days.” You might need to wait up to 90 days to associate the device with a different Apple Account.’

New in 2024: It used to be Apple only talked about restricting app downloads and streaming for 90 days.

OLD POLICY

See and remove your devices that are associated with Apple ID purchases - View and remove your devices that are associated with your Apple Account for purchases - Apple Support - Read "More about associated devices" at the end where it refers to the 90 day wait. This applies to re-downloading past purchases (you can make new purchases), automatic downloads, and iCloud based services such as Family Sharing, Match, and Apple Music.

I previously mentioned that I got this error after updating iOS18, and have never had another Apple ID.

After clicking ‘Cancel’ on several occasions, I finally tried clicking ‘Transfer’ - about 2 weeks ago. The error-message disappeared without requiring me to do anything else, and has not reappeared since.

Hope that helps.

I have been getting this too since the 18.1.1 iOS update to my 2018 iPad Pro 12.9" and I suspected that it was something to do with that update. I bought this unit around 2019 and it was either new or refurbished directly from Apple (don't remember).

It does not tell you the existing account or the new one, and not knowing, I was concerned it was a virus trying to have me transfer the account to a hacker's Apple account, but this post gave me the confidence to click Transfer. I clicked Transfer and it is still registered to me. :-)

I selected “transfer” restarted my iPhone and it worked. Haven’t seen message again

I was having this same issue and this seems to have corrected it:

1. Completely shut down your device
2. Power it up again
3. Select "Transfer" next time you see it

Should be good to go

Just bought a used iPhone 13 mini and am having the same issue. Cancel and Transfer do nothing. Online chat has been working on it for an hour, and they mentioned "making some adjustments" on their end and so far today it hasn't popped back up. Perhaps there is something they can do to fix it?

The adjustments were to refresh my device limit (didn't know there was one) and to restart my device. Note: I have several personal devices (watch, iPad, etc.) as well as several family devices so if there is/was a limit... I'm definitely pushing it! haha

Hope this helps anyone else!

I selected transfer then restarted my iPhone and it’s worked ever since

October 2024 post from Mac Observer Dot Com below but this did not work for me. I have been using a refurbished phone from an Asurion insurance claim I made back in Feb 2024. Had no issues until this update. Can't contact Asurion. Anyone know how to reach an actual Apple support person who can fix this?

This Device is Already Associated With an Apple Account https://www.macobserver.com/tips/how-to/device-already-associated-apple-account-iphone-error/

"Recently, some iPhone users have started seeing a dialog displaying the message “This device is already associated with an Apple Account.” The warning may seem confusing since it’s not clear what you’re supposed to do about it. In case you’re receiving this message and don’t know how to proceed, check the instructions below.

Why Does the ‘This Device is Already Associated With an Apple Account’ Message Appear?

The message is similar to another one about Apple ID found in older iOS versions. Even the available options, Cancel and Transfer, are the same.

The warning usually appears after signing in to your Apple ID (or, now, Apple Account) on a second-hand iPhone. People who got hand-me-downs may not worry much, but those who purchased used devices may fear they’ve bought a stolen unit.

Luckily, this isn’t the case. Apple devices come with the “Activation Lock” feature, which prevents the initial setup on iPhones, iPads, and Macs marked as lost. Recently, this has been expanded for iPhone parts as well. Activation Lock would prevent you from even logging in to your Apple Account on a stolen device.

Therefore, the “This device is already associated with an Apple ID” message simply means Apple registered your iPhone as used. After the change to ‘Apple Account,’ some users began seeing the warning on brand-new devices. That isn’t something you need to worry about either.

How to Fix ‘Device Already Associated With Apple Account’ Error

With the above in mind, all that’s left is getting rid of the message. Here’s what you can do to stop receiving the warning.

1. Just Tap ‘Transfer’

The Transfer button may seem like it will lock the device to the previous account. However, it actually means this iPhone’s ownership will be transferred to you.

Apple has a database of which account “owns” a device, separate from what is displayed on your Apple Account’s settings. If you remove an iPhone from your account, e.g., to sell it, the device remains assigned to you.

This only changes when the new owner signs in to their Apple Account and “claims” the device for themselves. This is done precisely using the Transfer button.

2. Check If Your iCloud and Apple Account Addresses Match

In some cases, the old message (mentioning Apple ID) appeared when people had different iCloud and Apple ID e-mails. If you signed in using the iCloud address, you would be able to go through the initial setup. However, if you did that, e.g., after a factory reset, the “device already associated” message would start appearing sporadically.

If you’re not sure your iCloud and Apple Account e-mail addresses are the same, it’s worth checking this possibility. Logging in to the correct e-mail address makes the message go away for good.

3. Make Sure The Previous Owner Removed the Device From Their Account

Lastly, if you’re indeed using a second-hand iPhone, make sure the previous owner has removed it from their account. To avoid being unexpectedly locked out of your device, it’s best to play it safe in this case.

Apple devices are known for their robust safety features, including lost and stolen device protection. However, vague phrasing, like the “This device is already associated with an Apple Account” message, does more harm than good. Thankfully, in this case, it’s just a poor choice of words. Selecting the Transfer button is highly unlikely to cause any issues with your iPhone.