Apple ID consistently being locked

I recently had this exact problem. In one week I was locked out and forced to reset my Apple ID password 5 times. If you have accounts like twitter/LinkedIN/Facebook etc. that are connected with the appleID email in someway and these accounts are on your mobile device or a device that is set up to auto-login you need to uninstall then re-instal them on your mobile device with the correct password. Otherwise the device will keep attempting to login with the wrong password and this will continuously cause your appleID account to be locked. Unfortunately there is no way for apple to tell you which one of these accounts or where the failed login attempts are coming from. I solved my issue by uninstalling any account I thought could be connected to my @me.com email from my mobile device and I haven't had an issue with being locked out for the last 3weeks.

Hope this helps

Alex

Stuart423, Sadly, the two reasons you give above are no longer the only reasons. For the last number of weeks I've been getting locked out of both my Apple IDs many times a day. Entering correct credentials every time on various devices, no financial issue. I've tried signing out on all devices. Did not fix. I've changed my password at least twice since the problems started. Something else is going on.

I've been having this issue w/ my 14yr olds iphone. She has had an iphone since she was 9 and NEVER had this issue until she updated to an iphone 6s last Feb, and its constant w/ being locked out and changing passwords. In one day we have had to change the password 3x because she would randomly get a "locked for security" reason pop up on her phone. I even went so far as to change apple ids and emails associated to that account and it was ok for a month but now the issue is back. I called apple for support today and they were useless

i agree with everyone else stuart43. i have never had any "financial issues" and have never type in my apple id password incorrectly, EVER. still get locked out weekly, for no reason...even when i'm not using the iphone.

Apple is not here responding to problems. They only supply the space for this USER TO USER forum. I am afraid that the reason no solutions are forthcoming, is because the relatively small number of people here who voluntarily try to help do not know the answer!

As already stated, this is a user-to-user tech support site, and Apple doesn't participate. You would know this if you had read the forum Terms of Use you agreed to when you joined.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2446

Message was edited by: modular747

According to the apple docs If your Apple ID is locked - Apple Support :

"If you or someone else enters your password, security questions, or other account information incorrectly too many times, your Apple ID automatically locks to protect your security and you can't sign in to any Apple services."

As someone earlier mentioned, it could be another old device with the old password that is causing the lockout to trigger, OR it could be someone who has gotten your appleID email address, and is now trying to gain access to your account by trying different passwords.

(Which is really frustrating. Dislike someone? Have their email address? Want to annoy them? Try logging in to an apple service with the email and a random password a few times. Instant lockout.)

jordygillette wrote:

i agree with everyone else stuart43. i have never had any "financial issues" and have never type in my apple id password incorrectly, EVER. still get locked out weekly, for no reason...even when i'm not using the iphone.

More than likely someone is bound and determined to hack your account, and keeps trying passwords. Defenses include changing the email address for your iCloud account, and/or adding 2 factor authentication.

Here's how to change your Apple ID: Apple ID: Changing your Apple ID

Here's how to add 2 factor authentication: Two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Apple Support

If it was locked for security that means that a number of failed password attempts occurred over a short period of time. That is the only reason an account is locked for security reasons. So most likely a "friend" of your 14 yo saw her Apple ID or knows here email address, and has been attempting to guess her password. As it was OK for a month, that's most likely how long it took the "friend" to figure out the ID had changed. I recommend adding 2 factor authentication to the account: Two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Apple Support

I got fed up with this issue and then I changed the email address (username). Problem solved.

Apple ID accounts will 'lock' for only two reasons: either you are entering the incorrect e-mail / password / security question answers OR the account gets locked by the iTunes / App store if you have some sort of financial issue with the store.

Let's assume this is not an iTunes / App store issue.

Apple IDs are pretty straightforward: you enter the correct e-mail and the correct password, and they open for you. Apple IDs let you access all Apple services like iCloud, FaceTime, iMessage, App Store, iTunes, etc etc etc. The Apple ID can also serve as your password for a number of other services IF YOU CHOOSE to use your Apple ID for those services.

Getting locked out of Apple services only happens when the user is not paying attention or forgets username / password.

If you think that some app on your device is supplying the wrong Apple ID, I'd recommend you sign out of ALL services and sign back in with the correct Apple ID and password. If you need to change your password, update your security questions, update your credit card or address, or change your Apple ID e-mail, you can do all of that at appleid.apple.com > If you have forgotten your username / password / security question answers, you can correct that at iforgot.apple.com >

Same F**cking issue happening to me at least once a week. Apple this needs to be fixed. It happens when I use a macbook that is not my main computer. Also I reside in one country and have my use another country's itunes store.

Apple has not invented new reasons to "lock" your Apple ID. There are only two reasons that you are unable to access your Apple ID account: financial issue or improper credentials.

Just because you don't believe the facts does not make the the facts any less true.

What about someone else with your email address (user@mac.com, user@me.com, user@icloud.com) brute forcing the login (yes, still improper credentials, but not as a result of actions by the authorized user)? Wouldn't that qualify as a third reason, or at least reason 2A? This, the account owner can do nothing about, besides changing the Apple ID. Thoughts?

Every email address is unique. No one else has your email address assigned to them.

True, your account information can be compromised by someone, and they can mess with your account if they can get in, but this is still a user issue. No one loses their email credentials without taking some sort of careless action.

I can sure understand how frustrating it must be to have to clean up after a security breach - whether it's someone luring one into clicking a risky link or or just forgetting a password - but with reasonable care, an Apple ID is solidly secure.