iCloud sign-in gets stuck in 'waiting for approval'?

See if this helps.

Apple ID - Get a verification code and sign in with two-factor authentication

If this is an iPhone. Disclaimer!! I’ve done this in my iPhone 7. I could not connect to Apple Pay iMessages and some other nonsense. With my MacBook Pro in front of me I could not get an approval. So I clicked can’t approve on my phone. It states the world is gonna end are you certain you want to reset? I said yes. I lost nothing. All passwords keychains all was well. It finally allowed me to complete to update on my phone. That is all.

contact iCloud Support.

iCloud Support

Thanks for the link. I know keychain was not the issue since I rarely use keychain. My other devices had keychain already turned off. I have absolutely no idea how it finally started to work appropriately. I turned all devices on/off several times and then loggin/logged out of icloud several more times. I believe Apple may have corrected a bug during the time I was logging in and out over several days.

Can you request a code using another device as the article shows?

I simply can't get anything to appear where I would finally be able to "approve". My keychain is off on all devices and has never been turned on. All of my devices on appleid.com shows they are all trusted devices.

I am lost and tired of this issue. Will calling apple support fix the issue?

What will I lose if I reset encrypted data?

pls how can it be solved

During the waiting I am never displayed an option to click I didn’t receive a code? Waiting and the spinning wheel of torture is all that is displayed.

how do we approve a device

See this old thread iCloud keychain stuck on "waiting for approval from another device"

And read my solution .

If you are using secondary authentication Apple ID , and if you open the rescue mail account and turn off 2FA .

An immediate mail will be received in your IMAP account , and you disable the 2FA within the time period of 14 days .

Again in system preferences - iCloud under keychain an error will be shown waiting for approval from other device having an exclamation mark .

And if you want to remove this error and again set up the iCloud Keychain and then plan to use your old secondary authentication Apple ID , see these steps .

( a ) Use an iOS device and sign in with same Apple ID and password that is used in your Mac .

( b ) In your iOS device go to settings - iCloud - open keychain - click on advanced two options will be shown .

Reset code and reset iCloud Keychain , so click on reset iCloud Keychain .

( c ) A verification code will appear on your mobile number through sms and it will prompt to generate a code , you have to think any desired number and fill up in the field , so keychain will set up in iOS device .Write down this code in a safe place .

( d ) Now come to your Mac and open system preferences , click on iCloud the box of keychain is unchecked , so tap the keychain box , it will show waiting for approval click on option button it will prompt to register with passcode enter the passcode that you generated in your iOS device and click on confirm .

( e ) Again in your iOS device a pop up will appear showing approve or deny for your name and your Mac name say Mac book air or what ever Mac you are using and stating allow to approve for keychain , so click on allow .

( f ) So the waiting for approval from other device will be vanished .

( g ) In your Mac again click on option button in front of keychain , it will prompt to enter your trusted number an sms will come to your mobile having a verification code in it , so enter it your trusted mobile will be saved and visible .

Now , your iCloud keychain is set up from the server end and the Apple ID you are using is set with secondary authentication ( in which questions and answers for Apple ID are created ) and your 2FA is cancelled .

Note : Suppose you have not followed this method for removing an error waiting for approval from other device and you think that erasing the hard drive and reinstalling the os or performing an archive installation , it will not help as this is the issue of iCloud Keychain from server end and not from your hardware of Mac .