What to Do When Your Apple ID Account Is Not Active: Guide

Download Article

Learn how to fix an inactive Apple Account (formerly ID)

Co-authored by Megaera Lorenz, PhD Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: November 23, 2024 Fact Checked

Download Article

• What does the “Apple Account is not active” error mean?
|
• Check Apple Account’s System Status
|
• Request Access on Phone
|
• Request Access in Browser
|
• Contact Apple
|
• Tips

|Show more |Show less

Are you getting the "Verification Failed: This Apple Account is not active" or "This Apple ID is not active" error on your Apple device? This is an incredibly frustrating issue, especially when it happens out of nowhere. Thankfully, there are a few possible fixes for this error. You can request access online, through Apple Support, or sometimes directly on your phone. Keep reading to learn more about what this message means and how to deal with it.

Note: with the release of iOS 18, Apple ID has been renamed to Apple Account. Your account email and password are still the same.

What to Do If Your Apple Account Is Not Active

• Go to iforgot.apple.com/unlock and fill out the required info to request access to your Apple Account.
• You might see a Request Access option directly on your phone, but this option isn't available for all people.
• If you still can't get into your account, contact Apple for further support.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

What does the “Apple Account is not active” error mean?

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Your account might have been locked for security reasons. It’s possible that you or someone else tried to log into your Apple Account with the wrong password too many times, causing your account to be locked or deactivated.
2. 
   2
   You could be in violation of Apple’s terms and conditions. If you did something that broke Apple’s rules, they might deactivate your account without notice. If this is what caused your deactivation, you’ll probably need to work with Apple Support directly to get your account back.

   • Unfortunately, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out what the violation is, as Apple will not always share that information with you.
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   Apple’s servers might be down. This isn’t a common cause of this particular issue, but it’s possible. If Apple Account’s servers aren’t working, Apple may be unable to verify your password or other account information.
Advertisement

Section 2 of 5:

Check Apple Account’s System Status

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Visit https://www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/ and look for “Apple Account”. It’s near the top of the list. If there’s a green dot next to it, that means the service is up and running, and there’s some other reason for the error message.
2. 
   2
   Wait for the servers to come back online if they’re down. If Apple Account is down, then all you can do is wait for it to come back online. Once it does, you should be able to log in as usual.
Advertisement

Section 3 of 5:

Request Access on Phone

Download Article

1. 
   Tap Request Access on the popup alert. If you are trying to log into your Apple Account and you get an alert that your account is not active, you may see an option to Request Access right from the alert.

   • You will need to confirm your phone number to request access via your phone.
   • This option may or may not be available to you. Apple does not discern which users will see the Request Access option.

Section 4 of 5:

Request Access in Browser

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Go to Apple's account access request site. If you are running into the "This Apple Account is not active" error, you might be able to request access online. Go to https://iforgot.apple.com/unlock to request access to your account.

   • Some users who have run into this issue say that this option only works with IDs that are locked, but still active. It’s still worth a try, but if it doesn’t work, your best bet is to contact Apple.
2. 
   2
   Enter your email or phone number and fill in the CAPTCHA. If you can't read the CAPTCHA code, click New Code. You can also tap Vision Impaired if you need help reading the CAPTCHA.

   • Make sure to enter a phone number or email that’s linked to your Apple ID.
3. 
   3
   Confirm your phone number or email address. Type your phone number or email address into the field and click Continue.
4. 
   4
   Tap the notification on your Apple device to reset your password. The website will list all the Apple devices connected to your Apple Account. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish resetting your password and reactivating your Apple Account.

   • If you don't have access to any of your Apple devices, click Can't use any of these options? at the bottom of the screen. You can then choose to reset your password while signing into a new device, use someone else's Apple device, or use an Apple device at an Apple Store.
   • If none of these options work, click Can't use any of these options? Follow the on-screen instructions to provide information to Apple so they can give you account access.
Advertisement

Section 5 of 5:

Contact Apple

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Contact Apple for one-on-one assistance. If you're not able to get back into your Apple Account, you can contact Apple Support for further individualized help.

   • Call Apple Support by going to Apple Support's website, typing your issue in the search bar (under "Tell us what's happening"), then scrolling down and clicking Call.
     • Select Call Now or Schedule a Call, then enter your information and click Continue. Follow the on-screen prompts to get your call scheduled.
   • Chat with Apple Support online by going to Apple Support's website, typing your issue in the search bar (under "Tell us what's happening"), then scrolling down and clicking Chat.
     • Enter your information and click Continue. Follow the on-screen prompts to start chatting with an Apple Support representative.
2. 
   2
   Wait up to 24 hours for your account to be reactivated. According to Apple Account users who have dealt with this issue, it typically takes about a day for your account access to be restored after speaking to Apple Support.

   • You should receive an email letting you know that your account has been reactivated.
   • If you still can’t access your account after 24 hours have passed, you may need to contact Apple again.
Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Tips

• If you see a message that says your account has been disabled for security reasons, you'll need to reset your Apple Account password instead. You can do this easily on the web at https://iforgot.apple.com. Alternatively, you can change your password on your phone if you have another trusted Apple device signed into your Apple Account (such as an iPad or Macbook).
  Thanks

  Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Advertisement