Your iCloud account serves as the personal gateway to the most crucial features of your iPhone. In iCloud, you can access documents in iCloud Drive, locate a lost device with Find My iPhone, or manage app subscriptions and purchases. Some users have reported difficulties logging into iCloud on their computers. If you're one of them, hopefully, the troubleshooting methods shared below will help you resolve this issue.
- Learn more: iCloud Account Registration
I - Resolving Issues with iCloud Login on Windows 10.
1. Preliminary Checks.
Before diving into deeper troubleshooting steps, perform some initial checks as follows:
- Ensure that you've entered the correct Apple ID and password (Refer to How to Create an Apple ID here)
- Verify your internet connection by attempting to log in to the Apple website or accessing any other websites.
2. Update iCloud to the Latest Version.
Install any pending updates on your computer. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open Apple Software Update on your computer to check for automatic updates and select the update you want to install.
- You can also download the latest version of iCloud for Windows from the Microsoft Store.
If iCloud for Windows doesn't update, follow these steps:
- Click on Start and choose Control Panel.
- Click on Network and Internet > Internet Options.
- In the Internet Properties dialog, click on the Advanced tab.
- Under the Settings section, select Security.
- Uncheck Do not save encrypted pages to disk.
- Try updating iCloud for Windows again.
3. Check if Windows 10 Meets iCloud System Requirements
System requirements include:
- Microsoft Windows 10
- iCloud for Windows 10 and above
- iTunes 12.7 and above
- Outlook 2010 - Outlook 2016
- Firefox 45 and above, Google Chrome 54 and above (Desktop mode only), Microsoft Edge, or Opera.
4. Reset Apple ID Password
The process varies based on the security type you use for your ID, such as email/password/security questions, or two-factor authentication.
* Email, Password, and Security Questions
- Open the Apple ID account page.
- Click on Forgot Apple ID or password?
- Enter your Apple ID.
- Choose Reset password and click Continue.
- Select how to reset your password: answer security questions or receive an email. If asked for the Recovery Key, follow the steps for resetting the password for two-factor authentication shared below.
- Log in to iCloud with the new password and update password settings on all your devices.
* Two-Factor Authentication
- Open the Apple ID account page.
- Click on Forgot Apple ID or password?
- Enter your Apple ID.
- Choose Reset password and click Continue.
- Enter the Recovery Key for two-factor authentication. If you've lost the Recovery Key, you can't change the password.
- Choose a trusted device, and a verification code will be sent to it.
- Enter the verification code and create a new password.
- Select Reset password.
- Log in to iCloud with the new password and update password settings on all your devices.
Note: If you still can't log in to iCloud, check if you've entered the correct Apple ID; in most cases, your primary email address is your Apple ID. If not, contact Apple support for further assistance.
5. Utilize Command Prompt
- Click on Start and type cmd in the search box, press Enter.
- In the Command Prompt window, type netsh winsock reset and press Enter.
- Restart your computer and check if the iCloud login issue on your computer has been resolved.
6. Restart Bonjour on Windows
- Click on Start and type services.msc, press Enter.
- In the Services window, search for Bonjour.
- Right-click on it and select Restart.
- Finally, try logging back into iCloud.
II - Troubleshoot iCloud Login Issues on Mac
The first thing to do when unable to log in to iCloud on your Mac is to ensure that your Mac is connected to the network and double-check the password to make sure you've entered it correctly.
1. Force Close All Applications
- From Finder, go to the Go Menu and select Go To Folder.
- Enter the following command -/Library/Application Support/iCloud/Accounts and click Go.
- Move all files here to the desktop or another location and create a backup.
- Restart your Mac.
Now, with the Mac restarted, you'll be prompted to log in to your iCloud account. Proceed to log in to iCloud and check if the issue has been resolved.
2. Delete Keychain Configuration Files
Before proceeding with the steps below, make sure to save all passwords as this method will remove all passwords from your MacBook.
- Go to Go to finder > Go menu > Go to folder.
- Enter -/Library/Keychains and click Go.
- Move all files to the computer and keep them safe.
- Restart your Mac, connect to the network, and log in to iCloud.
Above are some ways to fix iCloud login issues on your computer that you can try on your own. Hopefully, one of these methods can help you efficiently resolve the issue and successfully log in to iCloud. Don't forget to visit Computer Tips for more tricks, PC troubleshooting, iPhone, Android fixes, and especially solutions for iCloud errors during usage.
- Learn more: Common iCloud Error Fixes