Why has my apple account been disabled

Sometimes, you might receive an error message saying, “Your account has been disabled in the AppStore and iTunes” on your device. Usually, this error occurs when you have entered the wrong log-in credentials consecutively. 

So, a quick fix to this issue is to either reset your password. But, what if the problem persists? Well, there is still no need to panic. 

In this article, we will explore more about the potential causes and the fixes for this error message.

Why is My Account Disabled in the App Store and iTunes?

Here are a few main reasons your account might be disabled in the App Store and iTunes. 

• Multiple failed log-in attempts  
• Inactive Apple ID account
• Unpaid billings items or disputed charges
• Security breach
• Incorrect Date and Time Settings

With multiple incorrect log-ins, your Apple ID account will become inactive. You can only re-activate and enter your password after 24 hours. So, if you remember the password, carefully enter the correct one.

Please keep in mind that if you keep entering the wrong password, your account might even get permanently disabled. 

Additionally, there might be issues with your iTunes or the AppStore. Try logging into the account through your web browser and see if it fixes your issue.

If the issue persists, then let’s move ahead with the below fixes.

Reset Apple Password

If you’re one of the many individuals who have made changes and forgotten your password, Apple gives you the option to reset it. This method is one of the easiest ways to recover your Apple ID account.

Here is the step-by-step guide on how you can do it. 

On iPhone 

1. Head over to your Settings app. 
2. Click on your Apple ID banner. 
3. Tap on the Password & Security option. 
4. Click on Change Password. 
5. Now, enter your iPhone passcode. 
6. Enter in your new password and re-enter to verify it. 

On Mac 

1. Navigate to the menu bar and click on the Apple Logo. 
2. Click on the System Preferences option. 
3. Double-click on the Apple ID icon. 
4. From the left panel, select the Password and Security button. 
5. Click on the Change Password button.
6. Now, enter your Mac password and click on the Allow button to make changes to your account. 
7. Now, type in your new password and re-enter again to verify it. 
8. Lastly, click on the Change button to apply the changes. 

Unlock your Account

If you can’t reset the password through the above methods, we suggest that you navigate to the iforgot.apple.com website to unlock your account. Here are some steps you can follow.

1. Open up your web browser. 
2. Type in https://iforgot.apple.com in the URL address. 
3. Enter your email address linked with your Apple ID and click on Continue.
   
4. Now, enter the phone number that you have used with your Apple ID. 
5. A notification will be sent to your other Apple devices. 
6. Click on the Show button or tap on Allow from the notification pop-up. 
7. Enter the device’s passcode and enter your new Apple ID password. 

Update your Payment Method

There might be issues with processing app payments due to the lack of funds on your primary payment account. As a result, your account might get disabled. We suggest that you either update or change your payment method. Here is how you can do it. 

On iPhone

1. Launch the Settings app on your iOS device. 
2. Tap on the Apple ID banner on the top menu. 
3. Select the Payment and Shipping option. 
4. Enter in your device’s passcode or Touch/Face ID. 
5. Here you can update your payment or add another payment method. 

On Mac 

1. Open up your Apple Store. 
2. From the bottom left corner, click on your name. 
3. Now, navigate to the top corner and click on View Information. 
4. Click on the Manage Payments hyperlink. 
5. Here, you can either update or add a new payment method. 

Note: If you have any unpaid app charges, we suggest that you immediately clear them out. 

Sign Out and Sign Back into your Apple ID 

Sometimes, your device might not acknowledge that you’re logged into your account. So, a quick troubleshooting method you can apply is to sign out and sign back into your Apple ID account.

Here is how you can do it. 

On iPhone 

1. Launch your Settings app.
2. Tap on the Apple ID banner. 
3. Select the Media & Purchases option. 
4. Now, tap on the Sign Out option. 
5. Click on the Sign Out button again to confirm your action. 
6. Now, launch the App Store. 
7. Click on your Profile icon and sign in with your Apple ID. 

On Mac 

1. Use the Shortcut Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight Search. 
2. Type in System Preferences and hit enter. 
3.  Select the Apple ID icon.
4. From the Overview tab, click on the Sign Out button.
5. Check the boxes for the iCloud data you want to keep a copy of on mac and follow the on-screen instructions.
6. Enter your Apple password and click on OK. 
7. Now, restart your device and launch system preferences again. 
8. Lastly, select the Sign In button on the top-right corner.

Configure Date and Time

Incorrect Date and time settings on your device can create issues while connecting to Apple servers. It can also lead to the account disabled error popping up. Here is how you can configure the date and time to the correct settings.

On iPhone 

1. Open the Settings app. 
2. Scroll down and tap on General. 
3. Now, scroll and tap on the Date and Time option.
4. Slide the toggle for Set Automatically.
5. If you still see that the Date &Time is set incorrectly, you can manually configure and update it.

On Mac 

1. Head over to the Apple logo and click on the System Preferences option. 
2. Double-click on the Date and Time option. 
3. Now, click on the Lock icon in the bottom corner. 
4. Enter your mac’s password or use Touch ID. 
5. From the Date and Time tab, check the box for Set Date and Time automatically.
    
6. If you still see an error with the date and time, you also have the option to configure it manually.

Contact Apple Support

If all the above methods fail to resolve your issue, we advise you to contact Apple Support. Apple’s customer representatives are known to acknowledge the problem quickly.

Likewise, they can give you further assistance and might even help solve your issue. You can contact them through the support website or from its app version.

Why did my Apple Store account get disabled?

How do I Undisable my Apple account?