How to Fix it When Your iPhone Keeps Asking for the Password

Is your iPhone or iPad asking for your Apple ID? Here's what to do

By
Daniel Nations
Daniel Nations
Daniel Nations
Writer
  • University of Texas at Arlington
Daniel Nations has been a tech journalist since 1994. His work has appeared in Computer Currents, The Examiner, and other publications. He is a developer who has published apps in the Apple App Store, Google Play marketplace and Amazon Appstore; he also has worked as a data analyst and DB administrator.
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Updated on July 12, 2020

If your iCloud account runs into a problem, then your iPhone or iPad may not sync properly with data you stored in the cloud, causing the device to request your password repeatedly. If you experience this problem, there are several ways to fix it.

Information in this article applies to iPhones and iPads with iOS 12 or later.

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Causes of Your iPhone Repeatedly Asking for a Password

Sometimes, after an app download or iOS update, your iPhone or iPad repeatedly asks for your password. It prompts you to log in with your Apple ID, which connects to your iCloud account, usually because a download is stalled or unable to be completed. This annoying error can also be caused by an outdated version of iOS.

How to Fix an iPhone That Keeps Asking for a Password

No matter what the cause, you can take steps to stop the requests.

  1. Confirm that iCloud is working. Visit the Apple System Status web page and browse the list for iCloud Account & Sign In. There should be a green dot next to it. There should also be a green dot next to any of the iCloud specific services, including iCloud Backup, iCloud Mail, and iCloud Keychain. If you do not see green dots, then the problem is with the Apple servers. There's nothing you can do until Apple addresses the problem. Come back to the System Status page later.

  2. Restart the iPhone or iPad. Rebooting flushes the device's memory and gives it a clean slate, helping to eliminate many of the bugs and glitches that occur with intensive memory usage.

  3. Look for apps that are stuck. Scroll through the pages of your Home screen and inside folders for an app with the word Waiting below it or an app icon that is grayed out. Either one is an indication of an app that is hung up in the middle of a download.

    You won't be able to delete the stuck app in the usual way, so the best approach is to restart the iPhone or iPad. The troublesome download will either complete its download when you restart or disappear from the iOS device completely. Sometimes, a stuck book download in the Books app causes this problem. If you spot a book stuck on a download, restart the device to fix the problem.

  4. Update the operating system. If you have been slow to update the iOS on your iPhone or iPad, you may encounter problems with Apple ID. Check your current version, and if an update is available, download and install it.

  5. Reset the device. If the problem persists, you can take a more aggressive approach. Some issues cannot be solved through simple troubleshooting, but almost every problem except those caused by hardware issues can be solved by wiping the iOS device and then restoring it from a backup.

  6. Contact Apple. If nothing helps, contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider or an Apple Store genius for help.

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