PSA - Deauthorize Your Computer B4 Trading In/Return

[Graybeard7]

Sharing this in the hopes of keeping someone else from going through this nightmare. I traded in a MacBook Pro at the Apple Store for the 14". I then realized I preferred the 16", later realizing I needed a higher specced 16". The 3 computers were wiped by Apple employees at the Apple Store and are now owned by Apple. Unfortunately the did not deauthorize the computers in the Music app account settings prior. You are only allowed 5 computers to be associated with your Apple ID for purchased content use. I also have an iMac. I cannot "deauthorize all" until July of 2022. Apple support could not fix, and they said they will escalate and get back to me in 48 hrs. I am locked out of 3 of my 5 spots for sharing purchases for 8 months. My online ordered MacBook Pro will take up my last slot. I can't get another Apple computer to have access to my purchases for 7 months. Kinda crazy, especially since Apple employees wiped the Macs. Don't forget to deauthorize!!!

 

[cababah]

Sharing this in the hopes of keeping someone else from going through this nightmare. I traded in a MacBook Pro at the Apple Store for the 14". I then realized I preferred the 16", later realizing I needed a higher specced 16". The 3 computers were wiped by Apple employees at the Apple Store and are now owned by Apple. Unfortunately the did not deauthorize the computers in the Music app account settings prior. You are only allowed 5 computers to be associated with your Apple ID for purchased content use. I also have an iMac. I cannot "deauthorize all" until July of 2022. Apple support could not fix, and they said they will escalate and get back to me in 48 hrs. I am locked out of 3 of my 5 spots for sharing purchases for 8 months. My online ordered MacBook Pro will take up my last slot. I can't get another Apple computer to have access to my purchases for 7 months. Kinda crazy, especially since Apple employees wiped the Macs. Don't forget to deauthorize!!!

Very true - goes for all iDevices actually...it's such a pain if you forget to do this.

 

[Aka757]

I had something similar happen when I returned by MacBook Pro 16". I factory reset it myself and returned it to the Apple Store. One thing I noticed before I returned it was that the MBP still showed up in my list of iCloud devices on my iPhone and iPad, despite the fact that it showed that Find my Mac was turned off and even after I tried manually removing it multiple times. I mentioned this to the Apple Store rep that helped me, but he said sometimes that happens and just to make sure that the Find my Mac was turned off (which I confirmed was). I returned it about a week ago now, and this MBP is still showing up in my list of iCloud devices, and whenever I try to manually remove it, nothing happens. Haven't reached out to Apple Support about it, as it doesn't seem to have any impact on my account as of yet.

Out of curiosity, I just tried to deauthorize the Apple Music devices, and was able to do so without any issues. So not directly related to your issue OP, but figured I'd throw my anecdote out there. Definitely something weird going on with factory resets in Monterrey.

 

[0128672]

Sharing this in the hopes of keeping someone else from going through this nightmare. I traded in a MacBook Pro at the Apple Store for the 14". I then realized I preferred the 16", later realizing I needed a higher specced 16". The 3 computers were wiped by Apple employees at the Apple Store and are now owned by Apple. Unfortunately the did not deauthorize the computers in the Music app account settings prior. You are only allowed 5 computers to be associated with your Apple ID for purchased content use. I also have an iMac. I cannot "deauthorize all" until July of 2022. Apple support could not fix, and they said they will escalate and get back to me in 48 hrs. I am locked out of 3 of my 5 spots for sharing purchases for 8 months. My online ordered MacBook Pro will take up my last slot. I can't get another Apple computer to have access to my purchases for 7 months. Kinda crazy, especially since Apple employees wiped the Macs. Don't forget to deauthorize!!!

Sorry this is happening to you. It is mentioned as step 3 in Apple's list of steps to do before you sell or give away your device:

What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac

Reset your Mac to factory settings to prepare it for a new owner.

support.apple.com

 

[VividHuman]

I had something similar happen when I returned by MacBook Pro 16". I factory reset it myself and returned it to the Apple Store. One thing I noticed before I returned it was that the MBP still showed up in my list of iCloud devices on my iPhone and iPad, despite the fact that it showed that Find my Mac was turned off and even after I tried manually removing it multiple times. I mentioned this to the Apple Store rep that helped me, but he said sometimes that happens and just to make sure that the Find my Mac was turned off (which I confirmed was). I returned it about a week ago now, and this MBP is still showing up in my list of iCloud devices, and whenever I try to manually remove it, nothing happens. Haven't reached out to Apple Support about it, as it doesn't seem to have any impact on my account as of yet.

Out of curiosity, I just tried to deauthorize the Apple Music devices, and was able to do so without any issues. So not directly related to your issue OP, but figured I'd throw my anecdote out there. Definitely something weird going on with factory resets in Monterrey.

Try removing it from appleid.apple.com, that should get it disassociated from your account. If you remove it from iCloud.com its only temporarily hiding it I believe.

 

[Realityck]

If you look at your Apple ID, and it still shows the computers given away listed on the bottom left, you just need to remove each from account you no longer want associated with your Apple ID.

With Catalina and newer you don't need to deauthorize a computer in iTunes. You instead just signed out of iCloud.

 

[Aka757]

Try removing it from appleid.apple.com, that should get it disassociated from your account. If you remove it from iCloud.com its only temporarily hiding it I believe.

Thanks for the suggestion, didn’t think of those. I was initially trying from the settings of my iDevices since that’s what I usually do. Those sites didn’t work either though, it goes away for a second and comes back. I’ll just have to reach out to support it seems.

 

[Realityck]

Try removing it from appleid.apple.com, that should get it disassociated from your account. If you remove it from iCloud.com its only temporarily hiding it I believe.

You can do that on any Apple device that you are signed in under your Apple ID. All device associations are listed. Each can be forgotten. It will be reflected on your other devices that you are signed on afterwards.

 

[VividHuman]

You can do that on any Apple device that you are signed in under your Apple ID. All device associations are listed. Each can be forgotten. It will be reflected on your other devices that you are signed on afterwards.

Oh I see, I didn't realize they were the same thing.

 

[TinyMito]

Same for Apple Pay, make sure you remove any cards... mine got stuck and I had to call bank to remove the pre-existing link. I had to explain that I reset my Mac lol.

 

[ignatius345]

Don't forget to deauthorize other stuff too. I forgot to fire up Final Draft (which has a horrible horrible copy protection setup) before I traded in my MacBook Air and iMac, and FD made me message them to ask for my Macs to be retroactively deauthorized so I could free up the licenses. They really are in the stone age over there.

I had also forgotten to deauthorize Creative Cloud, but Adobe makes it pretty easy to go online and wipe the slate clean in one go.

 

[collin_]

Wait a minute, so the Music app stays authorized even if you sign out of iCloud before dispatching of the device?

EDIT: Wow, I guess it does. Any time I sell an Apple device I read Apple’s official article on what to do just to make sure I’m not forgetting anything. I highly recommend this practice. Here’s the Mac version.

 

[metapunk2077fail]

True, we should be able to deauthorise all computers whenever we want. On Adobe Creative Cloud and other software that requires a key it is possible to deauthorise software immediately so we can move to a new computer.

 

[cubbie5150]

Weird. I see no "Account" menu item in Music app (I'm still on Big Sur on my 2014 MBP), thus I can't deauthorize. However, in Podcast app, there is an "Account" menu item for me to deauthorize.

 

[Shirasaki]

One of the many examples DRM preventing legit users to access contents they are purchased.
A few more tips from my experience:
1. For Apple Watch, ALWAYS remember to unpair from your iPhone before exchanging your iPhone. There is little to no chance Apple store staff will remind you about this, and you can end up using a Watch on its own without realising and might have trouble pairing to your new iPhone and preserving fitness data.
2. Within 14-day return Window, DO NOT attempt to download any DRM contents unless it has lax license management system. I encountered apps that hard required the ORIGINAL device to be available for deauthorisation and their customer support could not do anything about it.
3. Of course, deauthorise Apple Music and iTunes. (I just don't use them while within 14-day return window)
4. Prepare some DRM-free contents for testing, be it music, video and others.

 

[AppleFanBoy888]

I had two instances like this a while back. I just contacted Apple support and they told me they could manually deauthorize all computers and within a day it was resolved. Not sure why they couldn't fix it. Maybe, a protocol has changed since then?

 

[0128672]

Wait a minute, so the Music app stays authorized even if you sign out of iCloud before dispatching of the device?

EDIT: Wow, I guess it does. Any time I sell an Apple device I read Apple’s official article on what to do just to make sure I’m not forgetting anything. I highly recommend this practice. Here’s the Mac version.

Same link I posted above.

 

[collin_]

Same link I posted above.

Why do people use the laugh reaction on posts where it makes no sense lol

 

[fa8362]

Sharing this in the hopes of keeping someone else from going through this nightmare. I traded in a MacBook Pro at the Apple Store for the 14". I then realized I preferred the 16", later realizing I needed a higher specced 16". The 3 computers were wiped by Apple employees at the Apple Store and are now owned by Apple. Unfortunately the did not deauthorize the computers in the Music app account settings prior. You are only allowed 5 computers to be associated with your Apple ID for purchased content use. I also have an iMac. I cannot "deauthorize all" until July of 2022. Apple support could not fix, and they said they will escalate and get back to me in 48 hrs. I am locked out of 3 of my 5 spots for sharing purchases for 8 months. My online ordered MacBook Pro will take up my last slot. I can't get another Apple computer to have access to my purchases for 7 months. Kinda crazy, especially since Apple employees wiped the Macs. Don't forget to deauthorize!!!

They only wiped them because you didn't deauthorize or wipe them. I wouldn't blame Apple for this.

 

[Graybeard7]

They only wiped them because you didn't deauthorize or wipe them. I wouldn't blame Apple for this.

Responsibility ultimately lies with me. However the first time I specifically asked the rep if I should log out and he said no, it will be wiped clean. It was not wiped prior because I was not sure it would be in stock.

 

[collin_]

It was not wiped prior because I was not sure it would be in stock.

Okay that makes sense. Personally as a really privacy-centric person I probably would have wiped it myself right in front of them before handing it over if they did have a replacement lol

 

[travoose]

I thought there was a way that you can deauthorize all computers from your music/iTunes account...whether it be in the iCloud/appleID website or from within the Music/iTunes app, I am not sure. I know I have done it in the past and then had to reauthorize the machines I wanted back in, but at least it is a fresh start. Unless that feature was taken out, not sure.

 

[collin_]

I thought there was a way that you can deauthorize all computers from your music/iTunes account...whether it be in the iCloud/appleID website or from within the Music/iTunes app, I am not sure. I know I have done it in the past and then had to reauthorize the machines I wanted back in, but at least it is a fresh start. Unless that feature was taken out, not sure.

Yeah idk for sure if they let you do that but based on OP’s support call it looks like they don’t and that’s really weird. Wouldn’t benefit Apple in any way (that I can think of) just an inconvenience for the customer

 

[0128672]

Why do people use the laugh reaction on posts where it makes no sense lol

What makes no sense is why you quoted me to ask this.

 

[collin_]

What makes no sense is why you quoted me to ask this.

Okay yeah that was pretty non sequitur I just looked for your post after you pointed out that you had linked to that article and it had a laugh reaction which happens to me even on the most mundane non-controversial posts