From time to time, you may be asked to update your Apple ID settings on your iPhone or Mac. We clarify what you can do in case of problems.

The message often appears when you have updated your Mac to a new version, for example. Then it says: "Update Apple ID Settings". In other words: You have to confirm your Apple ID by entering your password so that all services work correctly again. On the Mac, updating the Apple ID settings works as follows.

Update Apple ID settings on Mac

1. Click the Apple logo in the menu bar.
2. Go to System Preferences> Apple ID> Summary.
3. Click "Continue" when prompted to update your Apple ID.
4. Now type in your password and confirm the process.
5. Also confirm the process with 2-factor authentication if you have another Apple device.

You can manage your account in the "Apple ID" area. Image: © Screenshot / Apple 2021

Sign out of iCloud and sign back in

If you are logged in with a different, possibly outdated Apple ID, first click on "Log out" and then log in with your current Apple ID. However, the confirmation may only help temporarily, which means that it does not work in the long term. In this case, it can help that you completely sign out of iCloud. It works like this.

1. Click the Apple logo in the menu bar.
2. Choose System Preferences> Apple ID.
3. Then click on "Log out" at the bottom.
4. Now the system asks if you want to keep a copy of your iCloud data on your Mac: Make sure that all checkboxes are selected, then click on "Keep a copy".
5. If you use iCloud Photos, you may have to upload pictures to the cloud first. Select "Continue Updating".
6. To switch off "Find my Mac", you have to enter your Apple ID password and confirm with "Continue".
7. Then you will see the login window for your Apple account. But instead of filling in this, you restart your Mac.
8. After the restart, move back to the Apple ID menu and click on "Sign in".
9. Enter your Apple ID and click "Continue", enter your password and confirm it.
10. Now the system asks whether the iCloud data should be merged with your Mac. Click on "Merge".
11. Now confirm that "Find my Mac" should be activated again.
12. You are now successfully signed in to iCloud.

Fix faulty iCloud keychain data

Move the folders in the "Keychains" directory to the desktop. Image: © Screenshot / Apple 2021

If you are still having problems updating your Apple ID settings, this may be due to incorrect keychain data. It works like this.

1. Click on the Apple logo in the menu bar and select "Apple ID".
2. Click on "iCloud" in the left bar and scroll down to "Keychain", then deactivate it.
3. When asked if you want to keep a copy of your keychain data on the Mac, answer yes.
4. Now open the Finder: "Go to> Go to folder".
5. Type " ~ / Library / Keychains" into the field and confirm with "Open".
6. Now move the folder or folders that have randomly generated names onto your desktop – while you leave the rest of the files unchanged.
7. In the iCloud settings you can now activate the keychain again.
8. Now restart your Mac to fix the problems.

Update Apple ID Settings on iPhone

The warning is not only limited to the Mac, but can also appear on the iPhone. In this case, you can try the following:

1. On the iPhone, open: "Settings> Apple ID" and make sure that you are logged in with your account and not with that of another person.
2. In any case, logging out of iCloud once can help. To do this, tap on "Sign out" in the "Apple ID" area at the bottom.
3. Now log in again with your Apple ID and password.
4. Sign up for iCloud now.

Sometimes iCloud itself can also have problems. You can check whether this is the case directly on an Apple system overview page . If the iCloud system is disturbed, just wait and see.

Summary

• Update the Apple ID settings on the Mac by entering a password.
• Sign out of iCloud and sign back in.
• Fix corrupted iCloud Keychain data.
• Update Apple ID settings on iPhone by signing out and signing in.
• Also check the system status of iCloud on an overview page from Apple.