everyday mac tools

"This Mac can't connect to iCloud because of a problem": what to do

· 5 min read

The alert reads “This Mac can’t connect to iCloud because of a problem with” followed by your Apple Account email address. It means the sign-in the Mac saved for that account is no longer accepted, most often because the password changed on another device or Apple wants you to verify again. The alert says “Open Apple Account settings to fix this problem.” Click Apple Account Settings, enter your password there, and it normally clears.

What the alert is telling you

Your Mac stays signed in to iCloud with a saved sign-in, so it doesn’t ask for your password every time. When that saved sign-in stops being accepted, services that depend on it, such as iCloud Drive, Messages, Mail and Photos sync, can’t connect. The alert is the Mac asking you to sign in again.

The alert has two buttons: Apple Account Settings… and Later. Later dismisses it for now, but the services stay disconnected until you fix the sign-in. The same alert exists for other services, such as “This Mac can’t connect to iMessage because of a problem with” the same address, and FaceTime and Game Center versions. The fix is the same for all of them.

Why it appears

  • The password changed elsewhere. If you changed your Apple Account password on an iPhone, iPad or the web, the Mac’s saved sign-in is out of date.
  • Apple wants the password again. The account can need your password re-entered to confirm the saved sign-in, and the alert is how macOS asks.
  • There’s something to accept or approve. New terms and conditions, or a sign-in request waiting on another of your devices, can leave the Mac stuck until you deal with them.
  • The Mac’s clock may be wrong. A wrong date or time is a known thing to rule out when sign-in fails, so it’s worth checking.

Fix it, in this order

  1. Click Apple Account Settings… in the alert, or open System Settings yourself and click your name at the top of the sidebar. The label of that entry differs a little between macOS versions.
  2. If you’re asked for your Apple Account password, enter it there, in System Settings.
  3. Accept any updated terms and approve any verification request that appears on your other devices.
  4. In System Settings, click General, then Date & Time, and make sure “Set time and date automatically” is on.
  5. Check Apple’s System Status page for iCloud and Apple Account. If Apple has a problem, there is nothing to fix on your side; wait.
  6. Restart the Mac and see if the alert returns.

If you’ve forgotten the password, click Forgot Password in the sign-in box: macOS can reset it using this Mac’s user password. If that isn’t offered, Apple’s account recovery starts at iforgot.apple.com.

Tell a real alert from a fake one

A real alert comes from macOS itself and its button opens System Settings. Be careful with anything that looks similar:

  • Never type your Apple Account password into a web page, pop-up in a browser, or email link that claims to be this alert. macOS alerts don’t live in web pages.
  • If you aren’t sure, ignore the alert and open System Settings yourself from the Apple menu. If the problem is real, it shows there.
  • Apple’s guidance for an account you think is compromised is to change the password, check the devices listed on account.apple.com, and remove any you don’t recognize. Phishing aimed at Mac users covers the common tricks.

Turning on two-factor authentication properly also makes a stolen password far less useful: two-factor authentication on an Apple Account.

If it keeps coming back: sign out and in

Signing out is the last step, not the first. Before you do it, know what happens. Apple’s guidance says the Mac asks whether to keep copies of iCloud Drive documents and of Contacts, Calendar, Reminders and Messages data. If you don’t keep copies, that data is removed from this Mac, though it stays in iCloud and on your other devices. Kept copies stop updating. iCloud Photos items not fully downloaded can be downloaded first or removed.

Safari bookmarks and the Reading List remain on the Mac. When you sign back in, your iCloud documents and data reappear. Apple suggests copying what you need from iCloud Drive to a folder outside it before you sign out, so you have a copy whatever you choose.

To see how the pieces fit together, read what each sign-in does on a Mac. There is also a related prompt that mentions a keychain, accountsd wants to use the login keychain.

Questions

Why does “This Mac can’t connect to iCloud” keep popping up? The saved sign-in is still being refused, so the alert comes back until the cause is fixed. Click Apple Account Settings…, enter your password in System Settings, accept any terms, and check the date and time. Choosing Later only hides it.

Is “This Mac can’t connect to iCloud because of a problem with” a scam? No, the wording is a real macOS alert, and the button opens System Settings. The scams are web pages or emails that copy it and ask for your password. Open System Settings yourself if you aren’t sure.

Do I lose my files if I sign out of iCloud on the Mac? Not from iCloud: your data stays there and on your other devices. The Mac asks whether to keep local copies of iCloud Drive and some app data, and anything you don’t keep is removed from this Mac. Copy what you need first.

Why does my Mac keep asking for my Apple Account password? Usually the password changed on another device, a verification is pending, or the clock is off. Sign in once in System Settings, and approve requests on your other devices.