Stop OSX telling me to login to iCloud

Sign out from it on your iCloud Apple menu -> System Settings.

It may also be on Users & Groups

tarsierspectral123 wrote:

I'm not signed in, so can't sign out. That's the whole point, OSX is constantly telling me to sign in but I don't want to and I'm asking how to make OSX stop asking me to sign in.

You’re not going to like this reply.

You want to live in a world without iCloud, Activation Lock, Messages, app store, app updates, and other features.

That’s the computing era from prior to Y2K, more or less.

Here? Apple is going to want you to log into iCloud. Always.

You can either log in, or can continue to incrementally find existing things or things newly tied to iCloud, or you can switch platforms.

I don’t know off-hand if you can get macOS updates without an Apple Account, but that might still work. Probably manually, as the app store will want a login.

https://github.com/grahampugh/macadmin-scripts

Or if this Mac is a business or school system, IT can configure and manage its contents for staff or students. Munki might be involved, there.

Here? What you will most dislike… Probably best to migrate to Linux or BSD. Probably Fedora Asahi remix, with the Apple silicon in use here. That migration will do what you want — other than allowing access to Apple services, which you’ve indicated you don’t want — with the control you want, and without the logins, connections, and tracking.

Longer-term, macOS is seemingly on a path toward iOS and iPadOS, such as with the codesign app notarization requirements that arrived in macOS 15.1, for instance.

Have you ever tried to use Contacts or Messages on this system? If so, then they will continually prompt you to log into iCloud. To stop this you would need to log into your AppleID in the System Settings in order to turn them off. I guess the same could also apply to any other item listed within the AppleID section.

Plus, it is possible the App Store could be part of it as well. I know I've had to manually log out of the App Store to stop some notices.

@MrHoffman is correct. Apple wants everyone to be using every aspect associated with the AppleID and iCloud which is clearly seen when logging into the AppleID in System Settings on a new system where all cloud based options are enabled by default even if those items were turned off on another system. It had all my stuff being synced to iCloud without my permission. It is extremely difficult to only utilize a portion of the Apple ecosystem.

Nowhere did I suggest not having an Apple Account.

What you want here (quiet, and no prompts for Apple services associated with your Apple Account) conflicts with what Apple wants (~always logged into an Apple Account).

To get what you want (quiet, and no prompts for accessing Apple services associated with your Apple Account), then Linux or maybe BSD are your likely future path. Or you’ll be chasing these pop-up prompts.

Because I don’t see Apple willingly disconnecting macOS or its other platforms from iCloud services and Apple Accounts.

Because Apple will want you to log in.

You can send your feedback to the folks that work for Apple: Product Feedback - Apple

Apple menu -> System Preferences (Settings) -> Notifications. Turn off all notifications. That should help alleviate most of the iCloud reminders. Only turn on reminders for anything that has no AppleID tie in.

Don't use Safari for remembering passwords. Both Chrome and Firefox have their own separate password storage. 1Password is another similar utility for passwords.

Keep in mind though that iTunes Store, Safari access to Apple Support Community and other password systems utilize iCloud for login. Same with AppleTV. You can set what you want backed up and synced with iCloud through the settings as well.

Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support

I don't believe there is a way to turn off those prompts. Unless you follow MrHoffman's suggestions.

I have a 2010 MacBook Air I still use now and then, it does work. But at that age, it could fail at any time. I have completely logged out of the Apple ID and logged out of all accounts for AppStore, iTunes (Apple Music), etc. I only use it for web browsing, not even for email anymore. And every so often, that prompt appears. I just ignore it.

But that is a different use case from yours. My 2010 laptop is on High Sierra and has been fully updated and really has no need to connect to an Apple ID account. But you do use yours, you just don't want it connected all the time. Not to argue with your preferences, but what would be the issue just staying logged in once you are logged in. If you have an Apple account, someone could break into that regardless of whether you are logged in on any one device. To guard against that, use a good password and 2-factor security. If you are worried someone could get physical access to your Mac and get into your account, there are good ways to protect against that (strong passwords, keeping up to date on MacOS, even full disk encryption and firmware locks.

You can also have your Mac be logged in to the Apple ID yet turn off all Apple ID services, all of them. That will prevent the prompt at least.

If none of this works for you, let Apple know using the link MrHoffman provided: Product Feedback - Apple

Keep in mind that Apple is in the business to make money and it may be a business decision to prompt users to log in when they have an active Apple ID account but are not logged in. So they might weigh your complaint against other factors and decide to keep their current setup. But definitely let Apple know if you want them to at least consider a change.