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Apple thinks the MacBook Pro registered in iCloud is new device 300 miles away

My 2015 MacBook Pro is running High Sierra 10.13.1


Recently it wouldn't let me upgrade my Kindle App, and tried to force me to log in to the app store using an old Apple ID I no longer use. The App is registered to my current Apple ID.


I tried logging in to iCloud to see if there were settings I needed to change, but it told me someone was trying to log in with a new device 300 miles away. This has happened before when I tried logging in, but I couldn't see how to change it.


I have two questions.


1. How can I get Apple to recognize that the mac from which I'm logging in (and which shows on my devices in iCloud) is NOT 300 miles away, and is not a new device?


2. How can I update my Kindle App from the App store by using my current Apple ID?


Thanks.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS High Sierra (10.13.1), 512 Gb SSD, 16 mg ram, mid 2015 15"

Posted on Nov 18, 2017 12:39 PM

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Posted on Nov 18, 2017 1:11 PM

1. How can I get Apple to recognize that the mac from which I'm logging in (and which shows on my devices in iCloud) is NOT 300 miles away, and is not a new device?


Apple is simply using data provided by your ISP. Your ISP registers the location data for its assigned IP addresses and Apple uses that data for that prompt.

User uploaded file

Two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Apple Support

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Question marked as Best reply

Nov 18, 2017 1:11 PM in response to Wascally Wabbit

1. How can I get Apple to recognize that the mac from which I'm logging in (and which shows on my devices in iCloud) is NOT 300 miles away, and is not a new device?


Apple is simply using data provided by your ISP. Your ISP registers the location data for its assigned IP addresses and Apple uses that data for that prompt.

User uploaded file

Two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Apple Support

Nov 18, 2017 12:44 PM in response to Wascally Wabbit

1. How can I get Apple to recognize that the mac from which I'm logging in (and which shows on my devices in iCloud) is NOT 300 miles away, and is not a new device?


View and remove your associated devices in iTunes - Apple Support

2. How can I update my Kindle App from the App store by using my current Apple ID?

Any purchases that you made under your old Apple ID are not transferable to your new ID. They would have to be "repurchased" with the new ID. Be sure that you are logged out of the App Store from your old ID, and then, log back in with your new one.

Nov 18, 2017 1:11 PM in response to Wascally Wabbit

The location error normally occurs because that is where your ISP reports that you are. If your ISP servers are located 300 miles away, that will be reported as your location. As long as you were logging in at the time there is nothing to worry about. The new device part of the e-mail means that it wasn't previously signed in, so it is 'new'.

Nov 18, 2017 1:10 PM in response to Eric Root

Thanks for the response and the explanation. I can understand the part about the location error.


The part that puzzles me is the "new device" issue. This MacBook Pro shows up on my list of devices, yet when I log in to iCloud on this very computer, it sends me a message saying a new device is trying to log in 300 miles away. I get the reason for the location error, but not the part about why this computer, which is registered at iCloud, iTunes and the App store is considered "new".


For now, I simply put the same PW on both of my apple IDs, and have both working. But a couple of apps require me to log in using that ID to update them.


I can't find anywhere on iTunes or the App Store to log out of my old Apple ID so I can re-download all the Apps to my regular Apple ID.

Nov 18, 2017 1:20 PM in response to Wascally Wabbit

The part that puzzles me is the "new device" issue.


So again... Apple is only aware of the IP address, not what device that IP address is currently assigned to. Your ISP does not report that level of detail.


This MacBook Pro shows up on my list of devices, yet when I log in to iCloud on this very computer, it sends me a message saying a new device is trying to log in 300 miles away. I get the reason for the location error, but not the part about why this computer, which is registered at iCloud, iTunes and the App store is considered "new".


That list was populated by a hardware identifier in your Macbook when you signed in to it with Apple. An IP address was not part of it. This process does not "talk" to iCloud or iTunes or even Apple in any way. So Apple can't know this is not a new device.

Apple thinks the MacBook Pro registered in iCloud is new device 300 miles away

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