Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

perezr10

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jan 12, 2014
2,020
1,492
Monroe, Louisiana
So I bought a used iPhone X from eBay and I love it. The FaceID is almost magical and I love having a screen size bigger than the 4.7” without getting much larger for a body. However, I have one major problem. I’m locked out of my Apple Music and all of my iTunes purchases.

I’m getting the “This device is already associated with an Apple ID. This device can be associated with a different device in 62 days” message. I’ve bought iPhones off of eBay before and have never gotten this message. I suppose it must’ve switched owners more than once in the past 30 days.

The lack of music is killing me. I normally use my iPhone as my main music hub when I’m driving, working out, or just sitting at my desk. Am I just screwed? Is there really no way to access my library for over two months?
 
If you need your music you may either have to use your previous iPhone to access music or you can use an iPad to access music. If you need an iPad they can be gotten new for as little as $329 from Apple or cheaper if you choose Apple refurbished.
 
You will have to wait the two months on the new iPhone. I had to do this once several years ago. You should be able to sync your music to the phone through iTunes if I remember correctly.
 
Are you able to contact the seller? Can you ask them if they removed their "find my phone" from their cloud? This is a step that needs to be done.
 
The reason Apple has this limit in place is because years ago, a person could use a prepaid debit card with only a few dollars loaded on it and open an iTunes account. They could then buy just below $40 worth of purchases before iTunes would then try and charge the card only to find the charge would be declined. The user could then open another account, use the same prepaid card and do the same scam all over again.

A person could go even further with this scam by having dozens of these prepaid cards.

Apple has these limits on place now to prevent that. There are limits to how many times you can change your credit card within a certain amount of time as well due to this scam. It's all related to this scam.

Apple no longer allows the use of many prepaid debit cards now
 
I wonder if the Genius at the Apple Store could help. Or maybe a call to Apple customer service.
 
You will have to wait the two months on the new iPhone. I had to do this once several years ago. You should be able to sync your music to the phone through iTunes if I remember correctly.
The reason Apple has this limit in place is because years ago, a person could use a prepaid debit card with only a few dollars loaded on it and open an iTunes account. They could then buy just below $40 worth of purchases before iTunes would then try and charge the card only to find the charge would be declined. The user could then open another account, use the same prepaid card and do the same scam all over again.

A person could go even further with this scam by having dozens of these prepaid cards.

Apple has these limits on place now to prevent that. There are limits to how many times you can change your credit card within a certain amount of time as well due to this scam. It's all related to this scam.

Apple no longer allows the use of many prepaid debit cards now
Just wow. Been with iOS since 2011 and I never knew this.

So glad all my services are 3rd party and I'm not tied to Apple's ecosystem. Google Play Music puts all my iTunes music in the cloud and the service doesn't care how I access it or how many devices.
 
Just wow. Been with iOS since 2011 and I never knew this.

So glad all my services are 3rd party and I'm not tied to Apple's ecosystem. Google Play Music puts all my iTunes music in the cloud and the service doesn't care how I access it or how many devices.
This is true.

Also tied to the scam I mentioned above, iOS devices have a limit to how many iOS iCloud accounts you can create on any one device. I believe that limit is three and that then ties into the problem that the OP of this thread has experienced. It's all tied together to this scam and that is what Apple is trying to prevent in all this mess.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eyoungren
Google Play Music puts all my iTunes music in the cloud and the service doesn't care how I access it or how many devices.

There's definitely a limit on GPM for devices and how many times you can change in a given period... After changing phones regularly in the last few years (I'm a gadget magpie), I've had to contact Google Support 3 times now to get my limit reset.

Device limits

You can also only deauthorise 4 devices in a 12 month period.
 
The reason Apple has this limit in place is because years ago, a person could use a prepaid debit card with only a few dollars loaded on it and open an iTunes account. They could then buy just below $40 worth of purchases before iTunes would then try and charge the card only to find the charge would be declined. The user could then open another account, use the same prepaid card and do the same scam all over again.

A person could go even further with this scam by having dozens of these prepaid cards.

Apple has these limits on place now to prevent that. There are limits to how many times you can change your credit card within a certain amount of time as well due to this scam. It's all related to this scam.

Apple no longer allows the use of many prepaid debit cards now

And how does this relate to the limitation the op is experiencing on their phone?
 
Because as the OP said, he can not download the music from his account onto his iPhone. An iPhone can only be associated with ONE Apple ID every 90 days to prevent the above from happening.
 
Because as the OP said, he can not download the music from his account onto his iPhone. An iPhone can only be associated with ONE Apple ID every 90 days to prevent the above from happening.

This makes no sense to me. A credit card scam that results in only one Apple ID per device every 90 days?
 
If you read the second post that I wrote in this thread, you would understand the whole thing.

I have read it and it still makes no sense to me. Can you point me and others to a resource where you base your theory on? Where is this explained and documented on Apple’s side?
 
  • Like
Reactions: FFR
Can you point me and others to a resource where you base your theory on?
No I can't. The explanation is there on why Apple adopted these policies, except it or not. Apple won't tell you their reasons either which is why it wouldn't be written anywhere.
 
No I can't. The explanation is there on why Apple adopted these policies, except it or not. Apple won't tell you their reasons either which is why it wouldn't be written anywhere.

It is a nice theory for sure. However since you are unable to put any substance to it it will remain a theory. I only asked for clarification as the information given so far makes no sense to me.
 
Removing your device from iTunes in the cloud is the key before you wipe it and set up a new one, you can have 10. Or is this different problem op has re Apple ID.
 
Removing your device from iTunes in the cloud is the key before you wipe it and set up a new one, you can have 10. Or is this different problem op has re Apple ID.

It sounds as if you are mixing iTunes in the cloud and Find my iPhone stuff. What is it that the OP should do in your opinion?

What can he have 10 of?
 
Removing your device from iTunes in the cloud is the key before you wipe it and set up a new one, you can have 10.
This doesn't have anything to do with the OPs problem. There is a one apple ID login limit per 90 days when trying to download past purchases.
 
There's definitely a limit on GPM for devices and how many times you can change in a given period... After changing phones regularly in the last few years (I'm a gadget magpie), I've had to contact Google Support 3 times now to get my limit reset.

Device limits

You can also only deauthorise 4 devices in a 12 month period.

OP’s post is regarding an iPhone X and Apple Music, though.
 
I have read it and it still makes no sense to me. Can you point me and others to a resource where you base your theory on? Where is this explained and documented on Apple’s side?

I think he completely made it up.

The limit is due to licensing restrictions imposed by the movie studios and music publishers on Apple.
They don’t want you to sign into itunes with your friends account download their purchased tv shows, movies or music. Then sign in with a second Apple ID, download all thier apps etc.

Apple helped to mitigate this by adding a sort of family plan on iTunes, wherein family or friends could share their iTunes purchased content between a maximum of 5 itunes accounts.

Op: this has happened to me before,
You have to backup your phone on iTunes then restore with iTunes.

That should reset the 90 day restriction.
 
The OP states that he is locked out of Apple music and his iTunes purchases. Apples site says there is no way around the 90 day limit and you must wait until the 90 days is over to be able to access past purchases. It states that this happens when one enables automatic downloads on an Apple ID.
[doublepost=1528110969][/doublepost]
I think he completely made it up.

The limit is due to licensing restrictions imposed by the movie studios and music publishers on Apple.
They don’t want you to sign into itunes with your friends account download their purchased tv shows, movies or music. Then sign in with a second Apple ID, download all thier apps etc.

Apple helped to mitigate this by adding a sort of family plan on iTunes, wherein family or friends could share their iTunes purchased content between a maximum of 5 itunes accounts.

Op: this has happened to me before,
You have to backup your phone on iTunes then restore with iTunes.

That should reset the 90 day restriction.
Gurantee this won't work. It will just waste the OPs time.
[doublepost=1528111108][/doublepost]Read this Apple forums post:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5583206
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.