This Apple ID has been Locked

Apple Sends You Directly To “iJail” For Too Many Incorrect Password Guesses!

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Your Apple ID has been locked for security reasons

Your Apple ID unlocks your entire iUniverse… From your iPhone to iCloud, it controls email, contacts, Apple store purchases, iTunes, and more. Getting locked out can put a severe hamper on your digital freedoms.

Two main reasons you might have problems logging in are:

1. You forgot your password – usually because you haven’t used it in so long.

2. Your account has been compromised, and the hacker(s) changed your password.

Either way, if you enter too many wrong guesses, you will see alerts that say:

  • “This Apple ID has been disabled for security reasons.”
  • “You can’t sign in because your account was disabled for security reasons.”
  • “This Apple ID has been locked for security reasons.”
This Apple ID has been Locked

It is easier to change/recover your password BEFORE you get to this point by going to iforgot.apple.com, but that doesn’t mean you’re free to go. Remember that “after you change your password, you might need to update it in your iCloud settings and in any Apple services that you sign in to with your Apple ID.”

HOW MANY GUESSES ARE TOO MANY?

How many failed attempts do users have before their account is locked? Apple’s official answer is “3 to 5,” although even that is not verified. The reason is for security, but of course, it’s a pain for people who are just trying to download some music from iTunes. If your Apple ID password is not working or you’ve forgotten it, never try to guess more than three times, or you could go to what we like to call “iJail.”

APPLE’S HARSH SENTENCING PRACTICES

If you get locked out and remember your password later, you can try logging in again after 8 hours. Otherwise, follow instructions for password recovery/reset found at iforgot.apple.com. But you’re not ready to pass “Go” just yet…

According to Apple, “After multiple unsuccessful attempts to unlock your account, your Apple ID will remain locked, and you can try the next day again.” In other words, you get to enjoy a 24-hour stint in Apple jail.

We’ve seen a client get locked out of their account for 20 days!

It gets complicated if you have trouble verifying your account during the password recovery. In theory, as long as you have answers to your security questions or access to your primary or recovery emails, you should be okay, but not necessarily. Clients have experienced lockouts even while accessing their email and verifying identity on the phone with Apple support. In some cases, Apple incarcerated users behind virtual bars for up to 2 weeks!

Since hackers’ goals are primarily to disrupt and steal, Apple essentially rewards hackers by not allowing an immediate route for their paying customers to reactivate their accounts.

AVOIDING THE PROBLEM

Make sure criminals can’t access your account in the first place. Use a 2-step authentication whenever possible. Connect an SMS phone. Know all your security questions. Keep a secure paper file with all your pertinent information. If you elect to keep a hard paper copy, treat it like cash and keep it in a fireproof safety security lockbox.
Doing these simple things will save you a ton of hassle from the Apple man in the future. In terms of digital security, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Looking to bolster your DNS Security with DMARC and SPF? This guide will show you how to protect your business email system from spoofing and phishing attacks.
check out our article: DNS Security with DMARC and SPF: A Comprehensive Guide to Stop Hackers

Why does your wireless network suck? No ethernet backbone.

27 thoughts on “Apple Sends You Directly To “iJail” For Too Many Incorrect Password Guesses!”

  1. It’s disgusting that such a big, favored computer company could become so petty, pedantic, arrogant, frustrating, willfully incompetent, unprofessional, and oblivious to the pain in the neck they are bringing upon their millions of customers who pay their paychecks.

    At this point every excuse they could possibly proffer would be irritating and regarded dismissive and ignorant of the importance of looking for a better solution. Oblivious to the obvious fact that you do not punish your customers if you wish to keep your customers. They will HATE you for it every time.

    I went through resetting my applieid password because it wouldn’t let me in with my old password. I wanted to upgrade my old mac-minis from Yosemite to Mojave. That should be simple enough. Get the OK. Done. Run it. It requires RAR. Ok. I’m in the Apple store, and I’m logged in to my apple id. The account and password works as far as that is concerned. I go to the Apple Store and select an RAR program. It says I have to log into my apple id. WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Fine. I enter the userid which is the email I used for logging in earlier. I use the password I used earlier which was accepted earlier by Apple both during the resetting and after, during the logging in. And it says “Wrong account or password”. Bloody stupid liar. Try again. Rejected. Would you like to reset? Fine. I’ll reset the bloody thing. I try. But I’d really like to use the same password that I think it should be, if Apple should DEIGN to let me do anything I would like to do with MY computer. Not accepted. I have to use a password I haven’t used before. And my passwords at this time pretty much all seem to be wrapped around something like “Stupid password nazi 1234” or “super stupid password nazi123123” or you get the idea. I write them down and cross out the old one in my password book. I accept when the system wants to store the password. All that. Now, I have a new password. And I SWEAR TO GOD on a thousand Bibles that if there is a God and a Universe and if there is any good in the universe, I know that I know that I know what the password is. And I go back to enter it, as Apple’s program itself said I entered it correctly. It says it’s incorrect again and I must reset. Ok. It sends my phone a text with a six digit code all over again. If that wasn’t enough of a pain in the butt, it sends another code to my email. Heaven forbid my phone should run out of a charge as it did several times locking me out.

    Can someone, anyone, get Apple to understand that their goal should not be to irritate and punish the legitimate, paying owners of their systems, but rather to keep the hackers out? We don’t need pedantic and pathetic excuses. We don’t need to be told whether something is easy or hard. We can see that for ourselves. We don’t need to be punished. We don’t need to be called idiots. And we don’t need to be made to feel like idiots. We don’t need to be locked out of our systems and prevented from getting our work done. And we don’t need some bully to come tattling to our managers that we expressed frustration or anger in situations like this.

    We need someone to help fix these problems kindly and competently the best way possible.

    Capische? Grrrrrrrr.

    Yeah. I seem to be locked out. Sorry to gripe so grouchilly.

    1. Pamela Diggs

      I feel your pain! I’m locked out for 8 days…down from 12! I just dont understand how they can do this!?! And get away with it!! I talked to a Senior no help. Plus..apparently Apple has a fraud alert..which shutdown my ONLY credit card.

    2. Locked out for 7 days- not acceptable- yes customer service just says nothing we can do you have to wait the time. I’m not buying apple products next time! I just bought a new phone and can’t transfer files because my apple account is locked for security. So angry!

    3. I’m there right now. I’ll see your grrrowl and raise you 5 roars and1 harrumph! I got in twice today but after 2 full days wasted (this time) I’m back in jail. I was just in jail for two weeks. Today I celebrated because I was back in. Twice. Now I’m out. This is my 3rd mac to essentially fold taking all my info with it. I feel as tho I would be stupid to buy yet another Mac. I’m really disgusted and way behind on bill payments. UGH. G’nite all.

    4. You are absolutely right they intend to
      Mock at us and the most painful thing is their password they should make more amendments I can’t login to my account because i lost my trusted number and it seems like I don’t own the phone again it belongs to “Apple’

    1. The recovery password for apple is a nightmare. They will call you in 2 weeks but if you miss that call you will have to reset once again. Like why?? I work!! I can’t be at the phone 24/7. I dislike apple so much.

  2. Terry Anseman

    I hate this. I don’t have time to be locked out for hours. Is there a way, once I am “allowed” back in, to lessen this darn locked out time

    1. Yes. Make sure that a text-enabled phone number is on your Apple ID, and make sure that a reachable email address is added to your Apple ID also.
      Using a password manager like 1password can also help you save logins like this Apple ID.

  3. I guess I am joining the locked out crowd. This is new to me, I guess I will wait it out. It looks like no one has an answer to this dilemma. Iam now a full fledged IMac owner. I guess no one can tell me how long this will take? I just know I will start to get angrier the more I wait this out. I don’t suppose anyone knows how to stop this from happening.

  4. ROBIN JANICKI

    I AGREE WITH ALL OF THIS! I lost my iphone which stored ALL of my passwords! I have been locked out for 5 days. I requested that Apple call me yesterday at 2:00pm. I received a call from a 1-888 number and when I answered my new phone it was a recorded message. I am so frustrated with this! I have been trying to access my account for days and I need to be able to get into it for passwords as my school classes will be starting soon and all of those passwords are in the “cloud” that I do not have access to. I will NO LONGER store anything valuable in ANY Apple devices. Because this is unacceptable.

  5. I agree completely! After having my laptop hacked everyone encouraged me to get a Mac because they are harder to hack. I so regret my Microsoft laptop even though it got hacked. Apple tells me they will unlock my Apple ID in 7-10 days.Totally unacceptable !!!. I’ve only had my miniMac for a week along with a new iPhone, neither of which I can easily use. I’m ready to trash everything Apple related! Vive MaBell, landlines, tape and pencil and the good old yellow and white pages!

  6. I can’t unlock Apple ID because I’m told password is wrong. Not. But when I try to reset password, I get the little box that says enter password, yet tells me I’m wrong every time. So can’t reset password, can’t access cloud or anything else connected to Apple ID. So frigging frustrated.

  7. I am locked out for 18 days down to 6,I went to apple store in Pittsburgh pa with proof of purchase,box and all serial number and ineid etc and apple support couldn’t do anything to unlock the iphone said I’d have to wait it out

  8. I have a iPhone SE 2020. Perfectly Good phone not stolen or black listed. but as I can’t remember password or supply paperwork to prove it’s mine. It’s useless. Why can’t Apple re set the activation on the phone if it’s not reported stolen or black listed. Utter madness. This issue needs addressing.

  9. I have been trying to reactivate my Apple ID as a result I have now lost access to all my important documents all my memories and photos after calling the apple support three times the best they could give me was that after 24 hours my account will be gone forever if it doesn’t just start suddenly working. I have over 10,000 photos from travelling on my I cloud And I can’t Phaethon having them lost. This is probably the worst service I have gotten and makes no sense to me at all. This is really making me consider to never go apple again. I’m so disappointed

  10. Same here. My boyfriend is locked out of his ID because of too many attempts I guess. After getting the code sent to his phone and his email it still said he has to wait for Apple to verify his account and that no one at Apple will be able to speed up the process. We are waiting for an email telling him what to do next or how long his wait is. Fortunately he is able to use his phone, but without being signed into his Apple ID he has no access to any of his contacts and can’t download the app for his Facebook or messenger. At least his laptop isn’t an Apple product. He is stuck with this phone for another 9 months but at that time I think we will change carriers and get him an android phone.

  11. I got locked out, waited the time, just to get to the rest to ask for my old password that I clearly do not know so now I am locked out again. Complete BS Apple I am done

  12. Eddie James

    My boyfriend has been locked out 11 months! Multiple calls to/from Apple and NOTHING resolved! Apple – last time he will ever own anything of yours and I’m leaving too! Put your products where the sun won’t shine!

  13. Have been locked out just one day and seeing all this messages just keeps me in tears I thy know I won’t have gotten an iPhone 😭😭😭 now I believe when my friends said iPhone is a very strict phone I don’t think I will ever use an iPhone in my next life now am not even sure how many weeks I will be locked in this ijail let them free my appleid let me go and sell this phone joor 😭😭

  14. james fisher

    I can’t imagine why anyone would dislike this,this is very clear and very helpful nyx_cybersleuth on Instagram you got a new shout out and recommended from me thank you very much. nyx.consultant @ gmail.com.

  15. Virginia G Hutchins

    I bought my Apple laptop in 2013 and have the 2 factor authorization on it. This is my first time Ive been put in jail.
    I agree with all of the others that you should not be allowed to close our computers down. I have never received any alerts about too many passwords and you shut me down while I was using it. I do not have any other device to use to unlock my account. Very disapointed and I intend to get to the bottom of this. Thank the Lord I do not do any banking on it.

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