I have been using my Apple ID account for over 10 years. I registered it with my Gmail address and my primary phone number. I am still using that Gmail and phone number, and no one has ever accessed my account. Currently, I am logged into my iPhone 15 Pro and Watch Ultra. Suddenly, my phone displayed the message: "The Apple ID is not active." I contacted Apple Support via chat and visited the link iforgot.apple.com , following the instructions. But a few hours later, I received an email from Apple stating: "We’ve reviewed your request, and access to your account ( [email protected] ) has been denied." After that, I tried everything, but my Apple ID account is still unusable. I contacted Apple Support multiple times, but they couldn’t help me. I am truly disappointed and don’t understand what has happened. I called Apple Support many times, and each time the staff gave me the same unclear answer, saying that my Apple ID is permanently deactivated. There is no way to back up all the data on my iPhone to another device because if I do, the deactivated Apple ID will transfer as well. Additionally, all the photos and videos I paid to back up on iCloud are now gone forever. I paid Apple to store my photos, believing that iCloud was safe, and now I've lost everything. I am really disappointed and exhausted. I thought using iCloud was safe, and now this is the result I get. Answer from Ok-Panic-8207 on reddit.com
Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 102640
If your Apple Account is locked, not active, or disabled - Apple Support
”This Apple Account has been locked for security reasons” · This might happen if you or someone else might have entered your password or other account information incorrectly too many times. To regain access, you need to reset your password. ... If you see a message that says your Apple ...
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 255226001
Completely locked out of my Apple ID. Don… - Apple Community
October 23, 2023 - If you try the wrong password too many times, your account is locked and you have to follow through their standard set of steps to then pass the security checks to reset the password. ... My Apple ID has been locked and I need it to be recovered I need a recovery of my Apple ID Email: ***@cloud.com ...
How can I unlock my Apple ID when I don't… - Apple Community
So my original apple id is locked for security reasons.it takes me to a place where i can unlock my account by either sending an email to that locked apple id or i could answer the security question. I dont remember the security question at all and ive seen some videos where it tells the person ... More on discussions.apple.com
This account is locked and can't be used … - Apple Community
Managed to get this fixed - the only solution is abandoning the locked/disabled account and re-registering the device with new/different apple id. This required resetting the device by making a request to have the activation lock removed with apple. The request required the original receipt including the device serial number. I initially asked apple for this but they were unable to provide it as the order was too old and it was archived. Thankfully I managed to find the receipt in my ... More on discussions.apple.com
Why does my Apple ID keep getting locked?
You have a Mac so you could Enable 2factor authentication in the system prefs/settings. Accounts with security questions are old and more vulnerable. Locking of accounts occurs if the password has been entered incorrectly too many times in a short period of time. One possibility is if someone knows the email address for your account then keeps going to any Apple login page and enters the password wrong to lock you out. So if, possible change the email address for your account and see how that goes. More on reddit.com
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May 10, 2024Apple ID keeps getting locked - Apple Community
For the last few months I keep getting logged out and then locked out of my Apple ID account. My iOS is always up to date and I’ve changed my password a few times to stronger ones and it keeps happening. I get this message 3-4 times a week. More on discussions.apple.com
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/applehelp › apple id locked and can't be used?
r/applehelp on Reddit: Apple ID locked and can't be used?
July 11, 2024 -
I'm trying to get into my very old apple account from years ago. I believe it was one of my first accounts but I couldn't remember the password so I went to forgot password, put in the email and it said the account is locked and can't be used. And the account uses an iCloud email. I don't know what to do. Is there any way to get into the account or am I screwed?
Top answer 1 of 90
11
I have been using my Apple ID account for over 10 years. I registered it with my Gmail address and my primary phone number. I am still using that Gmail and phone number, and no one has ever accessed my account. Currently, I am logged into my iPhone 15 Pro and Watch Ultra. Suddenly, my phone displayed the message: "The Apple ID is not active." I contacted Apple Support via chat and visited the link iforgot.apple.com , following the instructions. But a few hours later, I received an email from Apple stating: "We’ve reviewed your request, and access to your account ( [email protected] ) has been denied." After that, I tried everything, but my Apple ID account is still unusable. I contacted Apple Support multiple times, but they couldn’t help me. I am truly disappointed and don’t understand what has happened. I called Apple Support many times, and each time the staff gave me the same unclear answer, saying that my Apple ID is permanently deactivated. There is no way to back up all the data on my iPhone to another device because if I do, the deactivated Apple ID will transfer as well. Additionally, all the photos and videos I paid to back up on iCloud are now gone forever. I paid Apple to store my photos, believing that iCloud was safe, and now I've lost everything. I am really disappointed and exhausted. I thought using iCloud was safe, and now this is the result I get.
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Same thing. Moreover, my iPhone is still logged into this deactivated account and it doesn't allow me to log out. Therefore, it's essentially bricked by Apple for no reason and they are refusing to do anything about it.
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 255073434
How can I unlock my Apple ID when I don't… - Apple Community
So my original apple id is locked for security reasons.it takes me to a place where i can unlock my account by either sending an email to that locked apple id or i could answer the security question. I dont remember the security question at all and ive seen some videos where it tells the person ...
Quora
quora.com › Why-does-my-Apple-ID-get-locked-even-if-it-is-the-correct-Apple-ID-and-password
Why does my Apple ID get locked (even if it is the correct Apple ID and password)? - Quora
There are a few differnt reasons that Apple will lock an Apple ID. One is if you guess the password 10 times and get it wrong each time. Another if they find suspicious activity. At this point the only way is to contact Apple to get it unlocked.
Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 102636
If your Apple Cash account is restricted or locked - Apple Support
2 weeks ago - To prevent fraud, ensure account security, and comply with regulations, your Apple Cash1 account may be restricted or locked. Your account may also be restricted if you dispute an unauthorized transaction with your bank and a chargeback is filed.
Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 118574
How to use account recovery when you can’t reset your Apple Account password - Apple Support
September 15, 2025 - For security reasons, it might take several days or longer before you can use your account again after you start account recovery. Contacting Apple Support can’t help you shorten this time. This delay is inconvenient, but it’s important so that Apple can keep your account and information safe.
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 255701760
This account is locked and can't be used … - Apple Community
July 31, 2024 - We don’t have access to why any particular Apple ID was locked. You can try asking Apple corporate. There’s a corporate area 408 telephone number and a USPS mailing address here: Contact - How to Contact Us - Apple ... I've just talked to them through a phone call and chat support.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/macos › why does my apple id keep getting locked?
r/MacOS on Reddit: Why does my Apple ID keep getting locked?
May 10, 2024 -
Machine: Macbook 2016 Phone: Note 20 Ultra, Note 8 Services: Primarily gmail accounts, google and samsung for cloud backup.
SHORT VERSION: My apple ID keeps getting locked when I hardly ever mess with it. Im an average computer user who doesn't do much outside of social media, youtube, reddit, quora, pornhub and occassional basic video/image/audio editing. Anyone have thoughts on likely culprits?
LONG VERSION: Why do you suppose this keeps happening seemingly on it's own? I used to think it perhaps had something to do with the rare occasions I used NordVPN because eventually it occured to me thats what kept getting me blocked out of the Mail app. But I havent used a vpn in a long while, like not since 2023. And I don't find myself at an apple ID login screen very much either. If I do it's usually because im trying to download something in the app store, or Dropbox (which I don't really use) is doing that thing where it randomly alerts me that I can't use it until I login with my Apple ID.
It's always months inbetween attempts, but whenever I end up needing to (certain the login info is correct), it tells me my "Apple ID has been locked for security reasons". When I go through the annoying procedure of unlocking it, it always takes some ridiculous extra steps because it never accepts my security answers. As if I forgot my first dog........yea right. As I am not especially cybersecurity literate, i am not sure whether this reads like a hacker threat or just a security wire I somehow keep tripping.
In summary, I am running out of oomph for this and im developing the habit of just saying "screw it" to any mundane problem that takes more than 60 seconds to fix. It's not even a laziness thing, it's simply becoming a "do i even care that much?" thing. I know these companies are trying to make our information more safe and secure but holy sheep sheet, it's just getting more and more annoying to deal with and making it easier and easier to leave it for other things. Is it just me?
Top answer 1 of 12
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You have a Mac so you could Enable 2factor authentication in the system prefs/settings. Accounts with security questions are old and more vulnerable. Locking of accounts occurs if the password has been entered incorrectly too many times in a short period of time. One possibility is if someone knows the email address for your account then keeps going to any Apple login page and enters the password wrong to lock you out. So if, possible change the email address for your account and see how that goes.
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I know this post is old, but it came up in a search, so in case you or anyone is still looking for an answer, I've found that it's probably a credential stuffing attack. That's likely if your Apple ID/Account name is your main e-mail address, that you've also used to sign up for other services. As long as you haven't re-used your Apple Account password for other services, it's harmless, but annoying. The only way to fix it is to change to a different primary e-mail address for your Apple Account. What happens is that some web site or app you signed up for in the past got hacked at some point, and your e-mail address plus the password you used got stolen and passed around the web in a list. There have been several such breaches of large services like Dropbox, etc., or it could be some obscure shopping site or forum you used once. Hackers get these lists, and use robots to try to sign into other sites using them, hoping that you used the same password for your Apple Account, or PayPal, etc. That's why you must never use the same password for more than one website or service. Once your address gets on one of these lists, you'll never get it off, and you'll always have some fool somewhere trying to log into your accounts with the wrong password, over and over. You can check here whether your e-mail address has been found in any of the known lists, though it won't tell you what password was used: Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach If you're on there, don't worry - just make sure you're not still using any old passwords, and that you have a different one for every website and app. If you're not really sure, maybe you want to change all your passwords. Probably a password manager is useful for that. What's not useful for this problem is enabling two-factor authentication, as many people suggest. Multiple failed login attempts will still cause your Apple Account to be locked, even with 2FA on. You need to change the primary address, i.e. what you log in with, to something else that's not on one of the lists. What I've done is change my Apple Account primary address from [email protected] to [email protected] . Then I added back [email protected] as a secondary address, so that people can still contact me on FaceTime and Messages, and also set it to be the outgoing caller ID. I had to do that in the apps and settings on my Mac and my iPhone. [edit: I can confirm that doing this has solved the problem for me, and not created any new ones. The locked account every few days has ended, and hasn't happened once in the month since I changed the address. People can still contact me on Messages and FaceTime using my normal address.] Many e-mail services, like Google's, allow you to make extra addresses with this "plus addressing". Mail sent there will go to your main address. It might be tagged with "apple", or put in a folder called "apple", so watch out for that. Other e-mail services let you set up mail forwarder addresses, so you could use one of those, or even set up a different e-mail account somewhere, just to use for your Apple Account.
Vocal Media
vocal.media › lifehack › 3-fixes-to-solve-your-apple-id-is-locked-for-security-reasons
3 Fixes to Solve "Your Apple ID Is Locked for Security Reasons" | Lifehack
Fortunately, there is usually an ... a complete ... You can get your account locked for security reasons if you miss type your password several times....
Apple
al-support.apple.com
Activation Lock - Support
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iMobie
imobie.com › home › iphone unlocker › how to unlock apple id that’s locked for security reasons [solved]
How to Fix Apple ID Locked for Security Reasons 2025
March 25, 2025 - If your device locked Apple ID, you will get “This Apple ID has been locked for security reasons”. So, why is my Apple ID locked? Because Apple automatically disables or locks Apple IDs as they suspect are at risk of unauthorized access.
JustAnswer
justanswer.com › mac-computers › djayn-apple-account-locked-apple-account.html
Why is my Apple account locked? Why is my Apple account locked what did I do? It happened a few days ago I don’t get on
Reset your password and enable two-factor authentication to prevent future locks. Regularly check Apple ID emails for security alerts. Avoid multiple failed login attempts by using password managers and updating recovery information. Keeping devices updated ensures smoother account access and security compliance. Disclaimer: This information is AI-generated and intended for general guidance only.
Reincubate
reincubate.com › support › ios security & forensics
What causes “Apple ID has been locked for security reasons”?
January 5, 2021 - Apple automatically locks iCloud accounts and Apple IDs that it believes are at risk of unauthorised access, and this locking is partly triggered by what it perceives may be unusual user activity.
AppGeeker
appgeeker.com › apple-id › apple-id-locked-for-security-reasons.html
How to unlock Apple ID locked for security reasons - 5 ways
Apple detects unusual activity and locks your Apple ID automatically to protect your security, making it impossible to sign in and use Apple services. If the password to unlock Apple Account is entered incorrectly too many times, you will get a message saying your Apple ID is locked for security ...
Apple
support.apple.com › en-al › guide › iphone › iph5acc5b28c › ios
Use security keys to sign in to your Apple Account on iPhone - Apple Support (AL)
If you try unsuccessfully six times in a row to sign in to your Apple Account, or if your iPhone detects other signs of suspicious activity, you’ll receive an onscreen notification that your Apple Account is locked.
Quora
quora.com › My-Apple-ID-says-this-account-has-been-locked-and-can-t-be-used-anytime-I-try-to-reset-password-or-login-What-do-I-do-to-unlock-my-account
My Apple ID says this account has been locked and can’t be used anytime I try to reset password or login. What do I do to unlock my account? - Quora
Answer (1 of 6): Have you tried to reset your Apple ID password in your iPhone Settings? If you haven’t, simply follow the steps below to have a try. 1. Open Settings. 2. Tap your name, choose Sign-In & Security and select Change Password. 3. Enter your iPhone passcode and set a new Apple ...
Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 101973
If your Apple Account is grayed out in Settings, or you can't sign out - Apple Support
September 15, 2025 - If you go to the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and your Apple Account is grayed out, or you can't sign out of your Apple Account, you might have restrictions turned on in Screen Time, or you might have a Screen Time passcode set.
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 252165884
Apple ID keeps getting locked - Apple Community
December 13, 2020 - After this, a few days will pass before I'm asked to sign-in again, and then another day or two will pass before I am locked out again and have to go through the security question BS all over again. This is freakin MADDENING! IMHO this is clearly a bug in iOS. Here's what I have tried to remedy this: Sign out then sign back in to my Apple account via my phone
TidBITS
talk.tidbits.com › tidbits talk
Any way to stop constant locking of Apple ID? - TidBITS Talk - TidBITS Talk
October 6, 2023 - Every couple of days, when I do ... again. So the obvious conclusion would be that Apple is locking it because someone keeps trying to hack into it....