Take Control of Your Apple Account

Version 1.0, published September 20, 2024

The center of the Apple world is your Apple Account. This little identifier ties up your access to iCloud; to purchased and streaming music, TV, and movies; and to all your devices. While an Apple Account is essential, Apple has made it difficult to navigate the many features associated with it—and particularly to troubleshoot and resolve problems that crop up. This book answers dozens of questions and guides you through solutions. It also explains how to use security, recovery, and other features tied to your Apple Account.

Everything Apple relies on your Apple Account. It’s a key that unlocks a long list of Apple products and services on any of numerous devices. iCloud uses an Apple Account, as does Apple Music; the App Store; the Music, TV, and Books apps; and more. An Apple Account protects your personal information, including email and iOS/iPadOS backups; helps you find a lost iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch; and can even unlock your Mac. So it goes without saying that if something goes wrong with your Apple Account, you could be in for a world of hurt.

Unfortunately, things go wrong with Apple Accounts all the time. Fortunately, Glenn Fleishman, a veteran technology journalist and the author of Macworld’s “Mac 911” column, is ready to help with expert advice on how to manage your Apple Account—including how to prevent, solve, or work around most common problems!

This book is fully up to date with all the changes released by Apple in 2024 connected to your Apple Account—including the change of name from Apple ID to Apple Account—as well as for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 Sequoia, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and other Apple products and services.

In this book, Glenn answers questions like:

• What all is my Apple Account used for?

• How does my iCloud account relate to my Apple Account?

• What’s two-factor authentication and how do I manage it—and not get locked out of my account?

• Should I invest in hardware security keys to up the protection of my Apple Account account?

• Are there other mechanisms I can use to ensure that I can recover an Apple Account in the event of a problem? (Spoiler: yes!)

• What should I do if I have two or more Apple Accounts or iCloud accounts?

• Will I lose access to all my Apple media purchases if I move to another country?

• Can I share an Apple Account with someone else?

• What does an Apple One subscription offer and how does it interact with Family Sharing and iCloud+ storage tiers?

• Is there an explanation for how code-based and hardware-based second factors protect my account and how they differ from passkeys? (Yes!)

• What exactly should I do if I think someone is hacking my Apple Account account?

• How can I recover a forgotten Apple Account password?

• What happens if I’m assaulted or drugged and someone gains access to my iPhone passcode and resets my Apple Account? (Sadly, a too real, if uncommon, problem.)

• What steps should I take if Apple locks me out of my account?

• If I lose access to an email address associated with my Apple Account, what can I do?

• What Apple Account changes in recent versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS do I need to know about?

• How can I use Family Sharing to share data and purchases within my family?

• What types of subscriptions can I manage with my Apple Account, and how?

• Which payment methods can I associate with my Apple Account, and how do I manage them?

And that’s just the beginning. Glenn has packed a remarkable amount of concise problem-solving information into this comprehensive book. Read it before you encounter Apple Account problems to minimize your risk, and if you’ve already encountered a problem, read it to find the best path to a rapid solution.