Apple ID consistently being locked

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 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.

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

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 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.

I'm not positive no one else has my email address assigned to them. Somewhere in Apple's transition from @mac.com to @me.com to @icloud.com email addresses, my @mac.com address was mapped to the others, but also someone in Europe somehow got the @me.com version of my email.

elgy03 wrote:

I'm not positive no one else has my email address assigned to them. Somewhere in Apple's transition from @mac.com to @me.com to @icloud.com email addresses, my @mac.com address was mapped to the others, but also someone in Europe somehow got the @me.com version of my email.

No, that's not what happened. @mac.com, @me.com and @icloud.com are aliases of the same server, and they all still work. On my iPhone if I go to Settings/Messages all of those domains are still listed, and I can still receive email sent to any of them when I view my icloud.com account. So user@mac.com is always the same account as user@me.com and user@icloud.com. What can happen, and it happens frequently, is someone will sign up for a website or other service and mis-type their email address. And it the incorrect address happens to be yours you will get email from the site destined for them, which they will never get (because you got it). And they may keep trying to log in, which will be detected by the server and the account will be disabled.

The other possibility is that someone is probing your account hoping to guess your password.

Brute force login attempts are very common. This is a major cause of lock outs.

It has nothing to do with your account info being compromised by someone, or losing credentials. If that happens, then there is no lock out. They're into your account.

> Every email address is unique.

That's assumed. Never was in question.

zenasprime wrote:

This has been happening to me as well for the past several months. Very annoying.

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.

Everyone seems to be ignoring the obvious... some less than desirable people are trying to brute force entry your account. And you are getting locked out as a result.

change the sign I.d. To a different email address, I know it's a pain if you only have one, but once your account is on file with these people the attempts will continue until you either change or they get in.

be secure.