iCloud HELP! Got locked out of my iCloud Keychain!

[BThig]

Ditto. Just started yesterday when I changed my iCloud password. I do it roughly every six months and have done it many times before without issue.
Did it yesterday and all hell broke loose. Definitely something screwed up with end to end data and it’s now affected all my devices.
Messages in the cloud, keychain, Apple Pay, etc, all not working. Endless “Update Apple ID settings” loop.
Tried everything I could think of. Even erasing and setting up from new did nothing. Ironically, my iPad is also the only device that has my passwords still on it.
Apple support has kicked it to the engineering so we’ll see what happens.
Attached are some pics to give a visual.

@ivanpasic, is this what you’re seeing?


I had something last year where my passwords would not sync across devices. Apple using end to end is great, when it’s working. When it’s not, though, it’s a giant pain in the ass.

I’m getting these exact same messages on my iPhone. Hopefully Apple Engineering will come up with a fix soon.

 

[movieator]

I’m getting these exact same messages on my iPhone. Hopefully Apple Engineering will come up with a fix soon.

Maybe, fingers crossed, since this seems to be happening to multiple people, it’s an issue in the service and not with each individual account.
Again, fingers crossed.

 

[katbel]

Maybe, fingers crossed, since this seems to be happening to multiple people, it’s an issue in the service and not with each individual account.
Again, fingers crossed.

Exactly, Calendar, Contact everything has issues even if they only reported Calendar in Apple System Status

 

[movieator]

Exactly, Calendar, Contact everything has issues even if they only reported Calendar in Apple System Status

Everything else iCloud is working for me just fine. It’s the end to end encrypted stuff I’m having issue with.

 

[ivanpasic]

In my case it’s basically that the message to login pops up and I log in - then before this problem started - it normally would open another window to confirm the unlock code from another device (iPad or iPhone) and then the login succeeds. The second window won’t pop up which is why it doesn’t active the end to end encryption services.

That’s the normal process but it’s not happening on my iPhone or my MacBook Pro.

 

[ivanpasic]

Ditto. Just started yesterday when I changed my iCloud password. I do it roughly every six months and have done it many times before without issue.
Did it yesterday and all hell broke loose. Definitely something screwed up with end to end data and it’s now affected all my devices.
Messages in the cloud, keychain, Apple Pay, etc, all not working. Endless “Update Apple ID settings” loop.
Tried everything I could think of. Even erasing and setting up from new did nothing. Ironically, my iPad is also the only device that has my passwords still on it.
Apple support has kicked it to the engineering so we’ll see what happens.
Attached are some pics to give a visual.

@ivanpasic, is this what you’re seeing?


I had something last year where my passwords would not sync across devices. Apple using end to end is great, when it’s working. When it’s not, though, it’s a giant pain in the ass.

@movieator this is EXACTLY what I am seeing. While I feel bad for you, I am glad there is more of us affected, means they will likely fix it soon! So frustrating!

 

[ivanpasic]

Everything else iCloud is working for me just fine. It’s the end to end encrypted stuff I’m having issue with.

Same here!

 

[movieator]

@movieator this is EXACTLY what I am seeing. While I feel bad for you, I am glad there is more of us affected, means they will likely fix it soon! So frustrating!

Yeah, it’s annoying because there is no way for us as the user to fix it.
I’m crossing my fingers in hope, but right now, a lot of things are unusable and it’s a bit of a pain.

Hell, I even installed 15.4 public beta thinking maybe that’ll jog something loose. No dice.

 

[ivanpasic]

Yeah, it’s annoying because there is no way for us as the user to fix it.
I’m crossing my fingers in hope, but right now, a lot of things are unusable and it’s a bit of a pain.

Hell, I even installed 15.4 public beta thinking maybe that’ll jog something loose. No dice.

I really appreciate the attention to privacy with Apple but this is one of those situations where it backfires.

 

[ckmaes]

I think it has something to do with the way things work on the back end with iOS 15 and possibly Monterey.

I've been a registered developer for many years and have always tried betas to test certain new features. I typically log in to these betas with my iCloud account and haven't had an issue doing this until now. My setup is currently MBP running macOS 11.4, iPhone on iOS 14.7 and iPad Pro with 14.7.

I installed iPadOS 15 Beta 2 on the iPad and had no issues with iCloud including end-to-end encrypted services. Once I was done testing the beta, as I usually do I put the iPad into Recovery Mode and restored it back to 14.7. I can run through the setup process but iCloud will not authenticate anything using end-to-end encryption (iMessage, Keychain, etc). The problem seems to be when the device you're setting up is trying to authenticate a current password from one of your other devices, it fails every time.

The annoying thing is, my other devices which have not had beta software installed are now failing the same authentication. I can still access Keychain on them but for some reason this pop-up keeps appearing and will not complete the authentication. I'm sure if I was to reinstall the OS on either of these devices I would lose access to these iCloud services.

The only way I've been able to resolve things is to install the iPadOS 15 Beta on my iPad again, doing this allows iCloud to completely authenticate. Not ideal but at least it works for now. Keychain and iMessage work fine once back on iPadOS 15.

Seems like there's something on the back end causing any iCloud account upgraded to run on an iOS 15 device to no longer allow authentication on anything older.

 

[movieator]

I think it has something to do with the way things work on the back end with iOS 15 and possibly Monterey.

I've been a registered developer for many years and have always tried betas to test certain new features. I typically log in to these betas with my iCloud account and haven't had an issue doing this until now. My setup is currently MBP running macOS 11.4, iPhone on iOS 14.7 and iPad Pro with 14.7.

I installed iPadOS 15 Beta 2 on the iPad and had no issues with iCloud including end-to-end encrypted services. Once I was done testing the beta, as I usually do I put the iPad into Recovery Mode and restored it back to 14.7. I can run through the setup process but iCloud will not authenticate anything using end-to-end encryption (iMessage, Keychain, etc). The problem seems to be when the device you're setting up is trying to authenticate a current password from one of your other devices, it fails every time.

The annoying thing is, my other devices which have not had beta software installed are now failing the same authentication. I can still access Keychain on them but for some reason this pop-up keeps appearing and will not complete the authentication. I'm sure if I was to reinstall the OS on either of these devices I would lose access to these iCloud services.

The only way I've been able to resolve things is to install the iPadOS 15 Beta on my iPad again, doing this allows iCloud to completely authenticate. Not ideal but at least it works for now. Keychain and iMessage work fine once back on iPadOS 15.

Seems like there's something on the back end causing any iCloud account upgraded to run on an iOS 15 device to no longer allow authentication on anything older.

For me, this was all on 14.7 and Big Sur whatever the current version is.

I really appreciate the attention to privacy with Apple but this is one of those situations where it backfires.

I remember last year when my passwords weren’t syncing across devices and there was the potential of me losing them, I suggested they needed to implement something so the user can restore them if they do get lost, while still maintaining the integrity of end to end. If it could be done.
Can’t even imagine losing 250/300 login IDs and passwords.

 

[MarqueeMoon]

Hi I have the same problem with ios 14.7.1, iPadOS 14.7.1 and macOS 11.5.1, i also tried to delete my passwords from iCloud, do you thing is this a problem i could solve by updating the devices to betas? I called Apple Support, we are speaking every two days without being able to resolve at the moment, my case is already underway, they have taken all the diagnostic data from all the devices in my possession. Also, AirPods synchronization between devices does not work, very annoying. I have lost all my passwords!

 

[ckmaes]

Sounds like it may not be iOS 15 Beta related, just seemed like it was the cause of my issue. It’s quite concerning if this is happening to people who are running the latest stable release. I basically accepted it as part of the risk when working with beta software but it sounds like it’s happening to people who haven’t tried the betas.

Although this only relates to Keychain, it would be great if there was an easy and supported way to export the Keychain database to 1Password or similar.

 

[MarqueeMoon]

I have problems with syncing the AirPods between devices, Find my, messeges and keychains (I haven't tried the betas...)

 

[ivanpasic]

I think it has something to do with the way things work on the back end with iOS 15 and possibly Monterey.

I've been a registered developer for many years and have always tried betas to test certain new features. I typically log in to these betas with my iCloud account and haven't had an issue doing this until now. My setup is currently MBP running macOS 11.4, iPhone on iOS 14.7 and iPad Pro with 14.7.

I installed iPadOS 15 Beta 2 on the iPad and had no issues with iCloud including end-to-end encrypted services. Once I was done testing the beta, as I usually do I put the iPad into Recovery Mode and restored it back to 14.7. I can run through the setup process but iCloud will not authenticate anything using end-to-end encryption (iMessage, Keychain, etc). The problem seems to be when the device you're setting up is trying to authenticate a current password from one of your other devices, it fails every time.

The annoying thing is, my other devices which have not had beta software installed are now failing the same authentication. I can still access Keychain on them but for some reason this pop-up keeps appearing and will not complete the authentication. I'm sure if I was to reinstall the OS on either of these devices I would lose access to these iCloud services.

The only way I've been able to resolve things is to install the iPadOS 15 Beta on my iPad again, doing this allows iCloud to completely authenticate. Not ideal but at least it works for now. Keychain and iMessage work fine once back on iPadOS 15.

Seems like there's something on the back end causing any iCloud account upgraded to run on an iOS 15 device to no longer allow authentication on anything older.

Thanks, makes sense. What confuses me is that I have installed now ios15/MacOS 12 beta on my iPhone and MacBook hoping that would authenticate but they haven’t been able to. Currently all my devices are on the recent betas and only the iPad will authenticate.

For me, this was all on 14.7 and Big Sur whatever the current version is.


I remember last year when my passwords weren’t syncing across devices and there was the potential of me losing them, I suggested they needed to implement something so the user can restore them if they do get lost, while still maintaining the integrity of end to end. If it could be done.
Can’t even imagine losing 250/300 login IDs and passwords.

If it was only the passwords! I was considering resetting them all. But it’s also all the apple health information. I’ve been using my Apple Watch for years as I watched myself lose weight and get into shape. It’s all gone. When I was setting up my iPhone the other day it asked for my gender, height and weight as it was the first time I was using it in my life.

Hi I have the same problem with ios 14.7.1, iPadOS 14.7.1 and macOS 11.5.1, i also tried to delete my passwords from iCloud, do you thing is this a problem i could solve by updating the devices to betas? I called Apple Support, we are speaking every two days without being able to resolve at the moment, my case is already underway, they have taken all the diagnostic data from all the devices in my possession. Also, AirPods synchronization between devices does not work, very annoying. I have lost all my passwords!

I tried to update my iPhone and MacBook to betas hoping it would solve the problem but alas!

 

[darngooddesign]

Thanks, makes sense. What confuses me is that I have installed now ios15/MacOS 12 beta on my iPhone and MacBook hoping that would authenticate but they haven’t been able to. Currently all my devices are on the recent betas and only the iPad will authenticate.

What happens when you revert back to actual OS releases instead of betas?

 

[ivanpasic]

What happens when you revert back to actual OS releases instead of betas?

Nothing. The issue first appeared on my MacBook Pro running the official release 11.5.1. Then it appeared on my iPhone running 14.7. The only unaffected device is my iPad running iPad OS 15 beta. I subsequently installed betas on my iPhone and MacBook but that didn’t solve the issue.

 

[ivanpasic]

@movieator one thing I haven’t tried, mostly because I was worried about loosing access to my keychain altogether, is reverting my iPad to 14.7. I have noticed in the past with this end-to-end encryption is that whichever device I was being asked to sign in on, it would ask me for my iPad password. Seems like it was using the iPad as some sort of ‘hub’. Although if it’s is iOS 15 vs 14 issue, not sure why my other devices which are also running iOS 15 cannot authenticate.

 

[movieator]

@movieator one thing I haven’t tried, mostly because I was worried about loosing access to my keychain altogether, is reverting my iPad to 14.7. I have noticed in the past with this end-to-end encryption is that whichever device I was being asked to sign in on, it would ask me for my iPad password. Seems like it was using the iPad as some sort of ‘hub’. Although if it’s is iOS 15 vs 14 issue, not sure why my other devices which are also running iOS 15 cannot authenticate.

I don’t think it’s software related at all. There’s probably something corrupt with the end to end key.
I’m just going to leave it alone until I hear from Apple Support tomorrow. I’ve done all I can conceivably think of.

 

[Robert.Walter]

For me, this was all on 14.7 and Big Sur whatever the current version is.


I remember last year when my passwords weren’t syncing across devices and there was the potential of me losing them, I suggested they needed to implement something so the user can restore them if they do get lost, while still maintaining the integrity of end to end. If it could be done.
Can’t even imagine losing 250/300 login IDs and passwords.

Often thought printing out a password matrix from iCK that one could put in a safe would be a nice option.

 

[movieator]

Often thought printing out a password matrix from iCK that one could put in a safe would be a nice option.

Especially since Apple promotes the idea of using unique passwords through their generator and warnings in the passwords section of settings in iOS.

 

[itsmeaustend]

I also learned a long time ago that Apple betas are not worth the hassle unless you're a developer.

This was true up until the latest round of betas (iOS 15). Something's changed, they're a lot more stable than they have been historically. I hope it's a permanent change and one that'll stick around for future betas.

 

[internetrando]

I am having the same issue as well. I am completely locked out of my Keychain, Apple Pay, iCloud Messages, etc.

Basically anything that requires end to end encryption is screwed on both my iPhone and MacBook Pro. Apple Support was clueless as usual...

 

[katbel]

I am having the same issue as well. I am completely locked out of my Keychain, Apple Pay, iCloud Messages, etc.

Basically anything that requires end to end encryption is screwed on both my iPhone and MacBook Pro. Apple Support was clueless as usual...

I guess it has to do with iCloud disruption: nothing is syncing normally with iCloud
Just trying to upload my music and didn't succeed
And can't agree more with Apple Support being useless ?

 

[ivanpasic]

I am having the same issue as well. I am completely locked out of my Keychain, Apple Pay, iCloud Messages, etc.

Basically anything that requires end to end encryption is screwed on both my iPhone and MacBook Pro. Apple Support was clueless as usual...

Honestly, the more of us are affected, the faster they will fix this!