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How to change iCloud password on a remote Mac?

I use iCloud and Back To My Mac (BTMM) to access some of the computers I have overseas. Everything was fine up until yesterday when I had to change my iCloud password. I now have lost access via BTMM to those remote computers as they need to have the iCloud password updated in the iCloud panel in their System Preference (and the Back to My Mac option has to be disabled/re-enabled to have it restarted).


I have remote SSH access to those remote Macs (all running Lion and in one case Snow Leopard), so I have a working SSH shell on them. But I cannot figure out how to update the iCloud password that is stored on those Mac via command line. I can reboot them if needed of course remotely, I'd just need to update the password used for the iCloud services...


Having someone walk to those Macs, login with my account and have them enter the password for me is not really an option, as to do that I'd have to give them both my Mac's account password and my new iCloud password, which is not going to happen :-) In addition, some of the Macs are used by my parents and in-laws, with their computer skill being limited to knowing how to open Safari and the Mail app. They wouldn't be able to help in anything technical.


So... is there another solution other than buying a plane ticket to go overseas and do it myself?

mail-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Sep 29, 2012 12:20 PM

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2 replies

Oct 14, 2012 6:56 PM in response to ik8sqi2

In case anyone wonders, I was finally able to update my iCloud password ont he remote computer. The key was SSH.

Issue this command to connect via SSH to the remote Mac:


ssh remote_computer -L 5800:127.0.0.1:5900


This forwards all traffic from port 5800 on your Mac to port 5900 (the VNC/Screen Sharing port...) on the remote Mac.


Then open the Screen Sharing app from your Mac. From there, connect to:

localhost:5800


This will actually connect you to the remote Mac, even though your iCloud password is wrong on the remote Mac. Now you have GUI access and you can login into your account remotely and update the iCloud password on the System Preferences on the remote Mac.

How to change iCloud password on a remote Mac?

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