Can't log out of nonexistent icloud

Try this--it just worked for me:

Try Recovery Mode (may work depending on iOS version)

Here is how to get the iPad or iPhone in "Recovery Mode". Follow the steps below or visit http://support.apple.com/en-us/ht1808

1. Turn off your device and leave it off.
2. Plug in your device's USB cable to a computer with iTunes.
3. Hold down the Home button on your device as you connect the USB cable. Keep holding down the Home button until you see the Connect to iTunes screen.
   
4. When you see this screen*, release the Home button. If you don't see this screen, try steps 1 through 3 again.

When your device is connected, iTunes will open. You'll see a message saying that iTunes has detected an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch in recovery mode. *Sorry, it wouldn't copy the picture. On your phone's screen you will see a pic of the blue iphone circle logo and underneath a white charging cord. When you see that screen release the Home button.*

I just did this with an iphone 4 (lent to me by a relative after I'd fried my iphone 6). I had accidentally used an old iphone backup linked to an email I don't have anymore and kept getting the message to log into icloud with that ID. Apple continually tells me the ID doesn't exist. After doing steps 1-4 I saw a box in itunes with this message: The software on "IPhone" needs to be restored to factory settings or updated

Click "Restore" and it will restore your phone. Then choose to set it up as a "new phone". Log in with your current itunes ID. I am now trying to add the device to my icloud so that I can get my contacts and info from icloud to the iphone 4. But at least the phone is no longer stuck in that icloud screen with the invalid apple ID.

I hope this helps someone.

I just spent 3 calls with Apple Support dealing with this issue. I had changed my apple ID email address but did not first log out of the account on my iPhone. This caused me to not be able to log out of iCloud on my phone because I was required to enter a password to do so. But because it was trying to connect to an email address that not longer existed, it was not possible.

HERE IS THE SOLUTION (as of 3/6/2015):

1. Login to your current Apple ID account at appleid.apple.com

2. Click the blue "Manage my Apple ID" in the top right.

3. Under the "Name, ID and Email Addresses" section, change your PRIMARY Apple ID email address to the OLD or out of date email address that your phone or other apple device is attempting to connect to. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THIS EMAIL ADDRESS CURRENTLY EXISTS. You will not be required to verify if to be able to make the change happen.***

4. Go to your phone or other device and you should now be able to log out of iCloud using the password for your current Apple ID.

5. Once you log out, go back to your Apple ID and change your email back to the current email address you'd like to use and save and verify the email address.

***I did this while on the phone with Apple Support so was not required to verify the non-existent email address that I was trying to unlink from. This may work without being on the phone with support.

Good luck!

how about if i already done that, but when i want to turn off the find my ipod touch still asking the password and then i enter the current password. Still error and incorrect password. hope you can help me.

How is it a 'non-existent' iCloud account? Do you mean that the Apple ID has been deleted? Do you mean that the primary email address of the Apple ID has been modified?

[If you're asked for the password to your previous Apple ID when signing out of iCloud - Apple Support]

How to reset your Apple ID password.

Go to iforgot.apple.com and type in your Apple ID, then click 'Next'.

Verify your date of birth, then click 'Next'.

You'll be able to choose one of two methods to reset your password, either E-Mail Authentication or Answer Security Questions.

If neither method works, then go to https://getsupport.apple.com

(If you see a message that says 'There are no products registered to this Apple ID, simply click on 'See all products and services')

Choose 'More Products & Services', then 'Apple ID'.

A new page will open.

Choose 'Other Apple ID Topics', then 'Lost or forgotten Apple ID password'.

Click the blue 'Continue' button.

Select the contact option that suits your needs best.

if your password is incorrect im not sure how to help but maybe you should try changing your password several times or delete the find my iphone/ipad app? the app is connected to an apple id, so if it is still connected to your old apple id, you may have to delete it and reinstall. THEN try and turn it off?

hope this helps

(not sure it will, worked for me though)

I also have the same problem, I have never created any iCloud email but there is in my iPhone. When I tried to reset my iCloud password assuming that I had created one, by sending into my email (I only used two emails address) nothing is come to my email inbox. I do have apple ID but most of the purchased I got it from my partner apple ID. Now since I can't get rid of iCloud account that keeps popping into my iPhone screen new problem arise. My partner needs to reset his phone after updating his iPhone software. He actually have his own iCloud but for some reason his iCloud account replaced and my "iCloud" account appeared on his phone. He can't get rid of it of course. Especially now his phone appeared used so much of space when it's actually not. so his phone consider defunct he can't add any files anymore.

We went to apple store in Berlin, they can't help if we didn't haver any recipe on purchased, which yes we don't have those since we are traveling in Germany we are not resident. So they can't help us at all just to get rid of that nasty iCloud that we or in this case I didn't even created at the first place

PS. We managed to do the "RESET" and don't know how and why returning into my initial apple ID. So we reset with new password that actually only work with apple ID where iCloud still not working when we enter the new password we've created

Hi,

This solution used to work fine but They changed the process and you can only change the email if you have access to the email you want to change it to. Since I dont have access to the one i would want to change from, THAT IS THE REASON I WANT TO CHANGE IT, then how the **** do you go back to that being the apple ID??

Sorry, what cSound1 says above won't work.

When this problem occurs you can't log out of your iCloud account on you're device unless you can first log in with the non-existent apple id (emailaddress / password) it is asking for. You can't simply create any other email address as your apple ID, it has to match this original one being requested by iCloud on the device you are trying to access.

czsolt is correct in saying you can't change the email used for your apple id without being able to verify it. So when this problem happens:

a) You can't get into your iCloud to modify find my iPad or turn it off, unless you have an appleId/password that matches the email address it was set with.

b) You can't set your appleId to use the non-existent email address it is set with, unless you have access to the non-existent email address to receive the verification email.

Which means the fix mentioned above didn't work for me, as czsolt also mentioned.

This issue happened to me because I changed my apple id (an email address) from an old email address I no longer have access to, to a new one. You can logout of the normal device account and enter your new id easy enough, but not the iCloud because it requires validation first as it had the find-my-phone security feature turned on.

The only way to prevent this problem from happening is to logout of your devices iCloud before you change your apple id. Would be nice if they had of mentioned that at the time i clicked the modify apple id button. (Hint Apple!!!) I stupidly thought if apple let me change my apple id, they would be managing the technical issues associated with that change across my various devices.

For those who follow, I was able to get it to work by:

1. plugging the iPad into a computer with iTunes and selecting the "reset as a new iPad" option.

2. While it was still plugged in I went to settings / iCloud

3. Selected to turn off find my iPad / which again prompted for the password to the OLD apple email account.

4. Entered my current password for my current apple account (which was still the same from before i changed my email)

And hey presto! for some mysterious reason it accepted the password this time and switched off find my password.. Hoorrrayyyy!!!!!

I then quickly logged out of iCloud! No password requested. Job done. Now I just need to forget the hours of my life I have wasted on this problem and all will be well again in my world.

Hope that works for someone else. Good luck.

Do you know of any other way to get delete an Icloud of a non existing email?

They require you to enter a password when changing your apple ID from a confirmation email that is sent to the non existing email account. I think thats what the previous people are saying. The step by step reset method previously posted on this thread does not work or help people with the same problem of deleting their old accounts. Is this making any sense? It is not an easy predicament. I appreciate it if you could give any insight on how to do this.

i m having the same same problem. NOBODY at apple can fix it. I even tried recreating that email that seems to be linked to that Apple ID. Made it with the same password for my current ID. NOW, Its upgrading the to/the icloud drive and it just keeps spinning & spinning day after day. Im ready to just return this Iphone for a refund & get a POS go phone. this is BS!!

I have been trying for the longest time to get rid of my old nonexistent apple ID which was linked to an old university email that had been deactivated five years ago.For some mysterious reason, this actually worked! I can't believe it! I have tried everything! Thank you, because I am trying to give my old phone to a family member.

Here is what I did (it was so simple):

Opened Settings on my iPhone

Clicked iCloud

clicked the green button next to "Find my iPhone" to turn it off

When prompted for password from the old nonexistent Apple ID, I just entered the password to my current Apple ID.

Then it said "turning off Find my iPhone" !! **Happy dance**

Ha, this actually worked on my old iphone 4 thanks, but unfortunately not on my new iphone 5! And I can't back it up to the laterst iphone 4 back up without turning off find my bloody iphone on the 5. AAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!

Hello.

I am facing this same problem at the moment as well. And the thing is the solution mentioned here is not working for me. When I try to change the apple ID to my previous apple ID which doesn't exist anymore, it says "The email address is not available. Choose a different address."

Anyone else facing the same problem?