My Apple ID password keeps expiring

Hi. Just adding to the thread that I have this problem too. A few weeks back, for no particular reason that I know of Apple emailed me saying for security reasons I had to change my password from my nice simple one to a complex 8 digit, caps, numbers, lower - impossible to remember one. I did that and it worked across all my devices for a few weeks and now, suddenly, I get "incorrect password" everywhere I try to log-in and I've had to reset it again to a new complex one (since you can't use a previous one!). I'm wondering how many times this will happen? Again, the only valid reason would be someone hacking in to my account, but I can't see any evidence of that. Thanks...

I've just experienced this problem AGAIN today. I'm getting pretty angry as I've had to reset my password again (and I couldn't reply to this thread until I reset my password!). If anyone can shed light in the matter so that this won't happen again, I would be appreciative. Thanks.

I too have had to change my password for the second time in less than 1 month. Both times I was using my password to authorize an app update in Itunes and was presented with the error message that the old password was not recognized. It is a pain to have to keep changing the password, since the system does not allow for the use of the same password within a one year period. Now I've got to keep creating and remembering new and more complex passwords each time. I wonder how many are experiencing the same problem. Will Apple give an answer?

Can someone be hacking into my account? The password can be changed by answering the security questions without leaving any email message to trace, and the answers to these questions can be quite obvious, asking about your first car, teacher, friend, etc. Hence, by knowing your birthdate and some personal information, anybody can fix your password! Apple should remove this option from iforgot.

Over the last two weeks, I've had to reset my Appli ID password because it wouldn't accept it during an App update. There doesn't seem to be any strange/ fraudulent activities under my account. My Apps using the Apple ID like iMessage and iCloud keep prompting me for a password. Tried restarting my iPhone but that didn't help. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Hello all, I just took the time and called 1-800-MYAPPLE and got a technical support gentleman on the line. I had to signg out of every account, that is, under Settings -> Store, iCloud, and Messages (iMessages on iPad 2). After all that is done, I turned off the phone and turned back on. Then I signed back into each of these three one by one. Hopefully everyone can try this method, and we won't have to reset it again. By the way, if unsure, always back up your data to your iTunes first. Thanks.

Hello all.

I've had this problem several times and was stumped and annoyed that I had to keep changing my password and fixing it in all the places I'm logged in with my Apple ID.

I have the answer! I called Apple tech support and they know why this is happening!!!

At some point in the past, when you went to appleid.apple.com and logged in, under the "Password and Security" option, there was a setting that allowed you to manage how often your password would expire, ie. every 1, 3, 6, 12 months... you get the idea. Well, in the recent past Apple made some changes and security enhancements to better protect peoples' private information, and guess what? They have since removed this option. One of the Senior Technical Advisors who knew exactly what I was talking about (and had intentionally turned this setting on for themselves) went into their own account, but alas, it the option was not there.

Solution?

Unfortunately, at this time, however often your password was set to keep expiring, it will continue to do so.

A possible solution in the future?

Call AppleCare 1-800-275-2273 and ask them (try to speak to a Senior Advisor) to put in a formal request to the "powers that be" to either permanently stop all accounts from having their passwords expire, or make a request that Apple return the user's option to change their password expiration setting. Or both. The more people need something to change, the more likely Apple will be able to make it a priority.

But why can't they just sort it out ??

Exasperating or what !!

My password expires every 90 days.

Ironically, this makes my account less secure because I have to write down my password!

I've tried dealing with tech support but they have no idea what's going on and had me trying things that clearly would not (and did not) work.

Pretty tempted to start fresh with a new icloud.com account.

Thank you for this info. This happens to me everytime I try to log onto Apple.com to do anything (but not when I just use iTunes AppStore, etc.). I will contact Apple and plead with them about making that change.

This is happening to me, too, and it is infuriating. As is good practice, I use a long random string of characters for my password to prevent hacking. When my Apple ID password expires I have to enter the password roughly 15 - 20 times to update everything: iMessages, iCloud, iTunes, Facetime, iCloud email, and Find Friends on iPhone, iPad, Mac Pro, and MacBook Pro. And I have to do it in a specific order if I want iMessages on the other devices to use my iPhone phone number. What a pain in the ***!

I spoke with an AppleCare rep who then routed me to another person in Accounts Management. That person couldn't offer any solutions, so I was put in touch with a Senior Advisor who really did seem to want to help find a solution but so far has not been sucessful. As it stands now, my account has been refered to engineering. Will keep you posted.

I strongly urge Apple to rectify this problem. As thehello said, they should "permanently stop all accounts from having their passwords expire, or ... return the user's option to change their password expiration setting."

PowerMove wrote:

I strongly urge Apple to rectify this problem. As thehello said, they should "permanently stop all accounts from having their passwords expire, or ... return the user's option to change their password expiration setting."

I do not think there is an expiration, since I still use password I set up long time ago. But Apple server that is responsible for security, reacts to any suspicious activity on your account and requests reset. For example you buying new app, while located on vacation in other country, or your kids playing on your mac and trying to enter incorrect password, both would trigger security. I do not believe referral to engineering will change security of Apple servers. I do not believe contacting anyone will do that, but hey, what do I know? Urge away.

fromsouth -

I believe that you have kept the same password for a very long time. This is the case for my wife on her Apple ID account as well. This problem is affecting only a subset of user accounts.

Perhaps you are right that the server is reacting to some suspicious activity. If that is the case, it sure would be nice if Apple gave the user a hint as to what activity triggered it. If Apple is unable to solve this for me, I will be keeping track of precisely when the password expirations occur to see if the same amount of time elaspes between each occurance.

For what it is worth, your theory about what is causing the password resets directly contradicts what thehello wrote previously in this thread:

thehello wrote:

I have the answer! I called Apple tech support and they know why this is happening!!!

At some point in the past, when you went to appleid.apple.com and logged in, under the "Password and Security" option, there was a setting that allowed you to manage how often your password would expire, ie. every 1, 3, 6, 12 months... you get the idea. Well, in the recent past Apple made some changes and security enhancements to better protect peoples' private information, and guess what? They have since removed this option. One of the Senior Technical Advisors who knew exactly what I was talking about (and had intentionally turned this setting on for themselves) went into their own account, but alas, it the option was not there.

Perhaps the Advisor he talked to was incorrect.

I have the answer! I called Apple tech support and they know why this is happening!!!

At some point in the past, when you went to appleid.apple.com and logged in, under the "Password and Security" option, there was a setting that allowed you to manage how often your password would expire, ie. every 1, 3, 6, 12 months... you get the idea. Well, in the recent past Apple made some changes and security enhancements to better protect peoples' private information, and guess what? They have since removed this option. One of the Senior Technical Advisors who knew exactly what I was talking about (and had intentionally turned this setting on for themselves) went into their own account, but alas, it the option was not there.

Perhaps the Advisor he talked to was incorrect.

I have only had Apple devices for the last two years, starting with my kid's ipods and to the best of my knowledge if that setting existed, it was beyond two years ago. Apple's security was completely revamped about a year ago, after "security breach" of account of one of the editors or "Wired" magazine. And even if that info was correct, all security now is MORE then two years ago and not less.

Perhaps Advisor didn't want to seem impolite.

Hi again,

I've owned and been using only Apple computers for the last 24 years. (I still have all of my old machines, and in fact I have kept them all in workin order all this time.)

I have worked for Apple as well.

I can tell you all with certainty and confirmation from co-workers/administrators/managers that what I explained in my original posting is correct.

Apple ID passwords used to optionally expire.

Apple removed the option without removing the occurrence of password expiration.

I never specified the length of time that has passed since this option was removed, only that it happened in the recent past, and I am using recent as a subjective term since I am unaware of the exact date of removal.

Other Apple employees and Apple users that had not had an Apple ID during the time in which the optional password expirations was available, or that never utilized this option were never aware of its existence. Seeing as it was not used commonly enough to warrant a permanent place in our password settings, only existed for a short period of time, and many Apple users and employees today are new to Apple, it is not surprising that many people were never even aware of the existence of this setting.

Without it causing an inconvenience to a large enough percentage of Apple users, there seems to be no urgent demand for Apple to rectify the problem.