Apple ID Account Bug Locks Some Users Out of Accounts, Forces Password Reset

Apple users are facing an issue affecting their Apple ID, locking them out of their own accounts, according to various reports from users of social media platforms. The issue appears to be affecting some users who say they've signed out of one or more devices and then been prompted to change their Apple ID password, while others appear not to will be affected by the error. Resetting an Apple ID password appears to work, and affected users report that doing so allows them to access their accounts once again.

9to5Mac first reported that the Apple ID password reset bug appears to be affecting several users who have posted details of the bug on social media platforms. A Gadgets 360 staff member was also affected, when his Apple ID was locked on both his iPhone and iPad, followed by a request to reset his account password.

A screenshot of the bug posted by a developer
Photo Credit: Mastodon.Social/ Dave Wood (@davewoodx)

Mac software developer Michael Tsai detailed his experience in a blog post, explaining that his iPhone first asked for his Apple ID password and then informed him that his account was locked. The reset process was tricky since she had stolen device protection enabled, but Tsai was able to reset her password without any delay using her Mac, although she says she experienced some errors in the process.

Similarly, developer Dave Wood stated in a Mastodon post that he was alerted that his Apple ID was similarly blocked. A screenshot of the pop-up message reveals that the account was locked “for security reasons”, with two options Unlock account i Cancel. Like Tsai, she was also asked to wait an hour as she had Apple's new stolen device protection feature on her phone. Several other users have also shared their experiences on Threads, X (formerly Twitter)and Mastodon.

At the time of publishing this story, there were no current or recent issues affecting any of Apple's services, including apple id i iCloud account and sign in — according to the company's system status web page. There is currently no word from Apple on why this issue is affecting some users; We've reached out to the company for comment and will update this story when we hear back.