Keeps asking for other people's Apple ID and password

[thepopnick]

I had a recent issue with a corrupted video file (posted about it in another thread) and it led me to wipe the phone and restore from the iCloud backup from the previous day.

This is when the annoyances began. As soon as iOS5 started downloading and installing my apps, it prompted me for 5 different Apple IDs and passwords. Three were coworkers, one was a friend from NYC I haven't seen in two years, and the other I just... don't recognize at all, though it's probably somebody that I know. At first I just canceled the prompts, but it's clear that they are not going away. They pop up like every 5 or 10 minutes. They stop whatever I'm doing on my phone and demand my attention and they're extremely annoying.

I went to the genius bar and the "genius" told me that I obviously have other people's apps/music/books on my phone. I'm fairly computer savvy and I'm certain that I've never logged into iTunes using anybody's account but my own and I've certainly never let anybody use my phone under THEIR account to download apps or music. The ONLY possible scenario I could come up with is that my computer at work is authorized to play music multiple accounts that my laptop may not share. Maybe there is music in the system from an account that the laptop is not authorized to play and because of iCloud has migrated to all my devices?

The "genius" had two possible plans:
Either start deleting my apps or music one by one to see which files were causing my phone to prompt for the appropriate apple ID
OR
Wipe my phone clean and ADD the apps and music one by one.

Either way, those are the ********* options I've ever heard. I'm especially angry that I've never once had any sort of authorization problem since day one of being a iPhone first gen owner, I've played by the paranoid DRM rules that Apple has applied to all of its media and software like a vice grip, and the "genius" suggests that I've been trying to share apps and music with my five closest friends.

"What are the chances that, oh, I don't know, this isn't a problem with me at all, but it's a mistake of some sort on Apple's end?"

"That's unlikely, sir. The only reason your phone would ask for this information is if you had apps and music that correspond with those accounts."

"Why doesn't it just... automatically detect and delete them?"

"That's not how it works."

"Is there an easy way to see which apps and music correspond to which account?"

"You can see which account purchased music in iTunes on your computer, but no, not through your phone."

I'm now at a loss. I guess I'm just going to wipe my phone clean, start with absolutely nothing on my phone and cautiously add my 300+ apps one by one. So pissed. Any ideas would be a huge help.

 

[thepopnick]

Possible Solution

I may have solved the problem, no thanks to the "genius" at the Apple Store.

First let me add to my previous post:

When I restored my phone, I did it on the phone itself (wiped content and settings) and then restore from the iCloud of the previous day. It instantly started prompting me for other people's iTunes info - from the moment it started downloading and installing my media.

I just now did the following steps:

I went into iCloud in Settings and I noticed that my phone still said "Restore In Progress," though as far as I could tell it was back to normal (minus the annoying apple id prompts). I clicked "stop restore." It warned me that I would lose whatever had not been restored yet. I decided to take the risk.

Then from within the same menu I told it to backup my phone in its current state to iCloud.

Once the backup completed... voila! No more prompts. I don't know what happened and I don't know how to explain it. Maybe the backup has kinda come full circle or something. It restored from the cloud, then backed up again and now everything is legit...? I don't know.

All I can say is, **** you Apple Store genius. All you know how to do is troubleshoot how your product SHOULD work in the ideal Apple-sanctioned way, not the actual day-to-day real life application of your product. You essentially accused me of trying to share music and apps and gave me a solution that I would have to dedicate my entire weekend to, when I was just a backup to the iCloud away from being back to normal. Get your **** together, ass.

 

[frunkis54]

just alittle info to help people out. On the computer you sync from you can click "get info" on apps and music/movies/tv shows and it will tell you what apple id is associated with the file.

 

[hamsandwich558]

thank you so much for solving this! I had the exact same problem and I know for a fact that I never had these people install apps from their accounts on my iPad. It's very strange... But your solution worked for me too. My heart goes out to you cuz that Apple Genius sounds like a dick. Glad it worked out. And you saved my ass too!

 

[PNutts]

It's easier to believe user error sharing a computer or whatever else resulting having your friends' credentials on your iPhone than Apple's support giving bad advice. Since you didn't try, you don't know if it would have worked. If you've provided support you'll know that you don't just try things and if a Genius recommended I stop a restore in progress I would walk away.

 

[tb2me]

It's easier to believe user error sharing a computer or whatever else resulting having your friends' credentials on your iPhone than Apple's support giving bad advice. Since you didn't try, you don't know if it would have worked. If you've provided support you'll know that you don't just try things and if a Genius recommended I stop a restore in progress I would walk away.

For your information, I found this thread because I am having the exact same problem. I bought my iPhone and my computer brand new, direct from Apple, and I am the only person who has ever used them. I just did a restore and am getting prompts for three random Apple IDs that I certainly don't recognize, and I definitely don't have any of their apps/music/whatever on my phone. So I doubt this is OP's fault. And even if it was somehow their fault, "delete everything and re-add it by hand" is a pretty lousy option, especially since there is no easy way to tell which app/song/whatever is under which account on the phone.

 

[anjinha]

Have any of you ever download music from torrents or anything like that? That could be where you've gotten some of other people's music.

 

[adam044]

this happened to me the other day. I restored my iphone 4s from my icloud backup and it kept asking for password from emails i had never seen. I would just click cancel cancel and they would go away. but i noticed it was trying to download songs even though i had not synced the songs back onto it yet. so what i determined was that the songs it was trying to download (that i downloaded from a torrent) were associated with the people that had bought the songs from itunes and then uploaded them to the sharing site and these handful of people now have itunes match so it was trying to download the songs from those peoples clouds but it couldnt because i didnt have the passwords so the songs were showing up as greyed out on my iphone and you couldnt do anything with them. I solved the problem by restoring my phone from my computer backup since this does not download from icloud all the songs copied over no problem and i didnt have the emails keep popping up

 

[AlphaVictor87]

Hey OP, trust me you are not the only one. This is definitely a problem with backing up from iCloud. So far since iOS 5 and iCloud came out i've had this happen with me and my fiance's phone all 4 (total between us) times we've backed up from iCloud.

Mine got about 3 or 4 prompts each time for other people's accounts, and she got about 6. I just kept hitting cancel, and they eventually went away.

Now as you said i've never let anyone touch my iTunes account or download anything on my phone. It never leaves my side! lol

So yes this is by far an iCloud backup problem, which i'm sure some day they will come up with an answer to and put out a silent update.

Next time i have to do a backup, i'm going to try it from my iTunes on my PC rather than iCloud and see if that makes a difference.

 

[PNutts]

For your information, I found this thread because I am having the exact same problem. I bought my iPhone and my computer brand new, direct from Apple, and I am the only person who has ever used them. I just did a restore and am getting prompts for three random Apple IDs that I certainly don't recognize, and I definitely don't have any of their apps/music/whatever on my phone. So I doubt this is OP's fault. And even if it was somehow their fault, "delete everything and re-add it by hand" is a pretty lousy option, especially since there is no easy way to tell which app/song/whatever is under which account on the phone.

Honestly not trying to be rude, but your use case is entirely different.

 

[nig]

Have any of you ever download music from torrents or anything like that? That could be where you've gotten some of other people's music.

the problem with that is unless they ask you to sign into the apple id

 

[girlintube]

Perfect solution

Thank you! I was having the exact same problem and it was driving me nuts! I went into iCloud settings, and yep, the phone was still trying to restore. I stopped the restore, did an iCloud backup, and the problem went away. Genius!

 

[LAtee]

Possible solution

Hi guys!

I also restored my iPhone 4 today and reconized this same problem.
BUT..

I also think that I know now what is causing this.
How many of you have jailbroken iPhone?

I think all those email addresses are someone else who have loaded/cracked apps to Installous. And my iPhone was trying to load those "jailbroken apps".

I'm not sure is this the solution for this issue, but atleast it is very possible. Or it is not definitely solution, more like explanation.

 

[docmagoo2]

Hi guys!

I also restored my iPhone 4 today and reconized this same problem.
BUT..

I also think that I know now what is causing this.
How many of you have jailbroken iPhone?

I think all those email addresses are someone else who have loaded/cracked apps to Installous. And my iPhone was trying to load those "jailbroken apps".

I'm not sure is this the solution for this issue, but atleast it is very possible. Or it is not definitely solution, more like explanation.

Dude, its against forum rules to discuss pirated apps..... Just saying

 

[WeegieMac]

You have a file on your device which was downloaded by someone else and shared on a P2P site. If it's an app, and it wants to update to a newer version, it will ask for that password for the Apple ID which bought it legally.

And if your iPhone could run the app, then it's jailbroken to run illegally obtained apps.

Restore to stock, start as a new phone, and buy your apps.

 

[Lovelymocca]

You have a file on your device which was downloaded by someone else and shared on a P2P site. If it's an app, and it wants to update to a newer version, it will ask for that password for the Apple ID which bought it legally.

And if your iPhone could run the app, then it's jailbroken to run illegally obtained apps.

Restore to stock, start as a new phone, and buy your apps.

What if my mom got the iPad from my bro nd is using the apps he downloaded....? It's her name on the app username nd her name on the AppStore....does she have to delete such apps completely with data stored in these apps?? New to this whole thing....

 

[Gordy]

Just had this issue. The trick to fixing it is to put in your apple id over the top of the one it prompts for. Do this for all of them (Copy your email address and paste it in, as it is far quicker).

What is happening is itunes is trying to download some music that it seems to think is going on your phone. Don't know why, but it's worrying. You can see as you put in each of the ids as your own, the downloading songs get removed. Very odd and worrying from apple this.

 

[WeegieMac]

What if my mom got the iPad from my bro nd is using the apps he downloaded....? It's her name on the app username nd her name on the AppStore....does she have to delete such apps completely with data stored in these apps?? New to this whole thing....

No, I'm sure your brother would give your Mother the password to update the apps he bought, which she now uses on his (old) device.

 

[mrrjclarke]

I just want to thank the OP. You solved my problem that occurred to me today.

Bless you.

 

[donzzy]

I have a similar problem on my jailbroken iTouch. When trying to update some apps a different apple id pops up.

Should I do a backup then restore via iTunes, or do an iCloud backup, then reset all settings on my iTouch?

Please advise, anyone.

 

[Bonn55ie]

My heart goes out to you cuz that Apple Genius sounds like a dick

 

[587458]

iMessage

I work in mobile phone retail and found that I started having this issue after iMessage was released. I used to put other people's sims in my iPhone to check if they were having sim or handset issues. iMessage automatically registered their mobile number (and I presume the associated Apple ID) to my phone. Since then whenever I restore my iPhone from a backup, I am prompted for passwords to two Apple ID's that I do not recognise. The moral to my story - Dont share sims kids! Does anyone know if there is a way of accessing the file on the phone which stores ID's and removing them?

 

[randycsz]

Dumb question, but in the solution to this people keep saying "I went into iCloud in Settings and I noticed that my phone still said "Restore In Progress," though as far as I could tell it was back to normal (minus the annoying apple id prompts). I clicked "stop restore." It warned me that I would lose whatever had not been restored yet. I decided to take the risk. "

I dont find an iCloud settings option. Now, I know most of this was written before the new Itunes version came out, but can someone point me in the right direction? An ex girlfriends Apple ID keeps popping up after I had to replace my 4S. Thanks!

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

For your information, I found this thread because I am having the exact same problem. I bought my iPhone and my computer brand new, direct from Apple, and I am the only person who has ever used them. I just did a restore and am getting prompts for three random Apple IDs that I certainly don't recognize, and I definitely don't have any of their apps/music/whatever on my phone. So I doubt this is OP's fault.

The key to your issue here is that you RESTORED those new devices. After that it's anyone's guess as to how those other Apple IDs are appearing. But it's coming from your restore or an app, somehow.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

I work in mobile phone retail and found that I started having this issue after iMessage was released. I used to put other people's sims in my iPhone to check if they were having sim or handset issues. iMessage automatically registered their mobile number (and I presume the associated Apple ID) to my phone. Since then whenever I restore my iPhone from a backup, I am prompted for passwords to two Apple ID's that I do not recognise. The moral to my story - Dont share sims kids! Does anyone know if there is a way of accessing the file on the phone which stores ID's and removing them?

YES, I was suspecting that was my issue!

I definitely think it's activating iMessage for someone else on your device that causes the Apple ID to become associated with the device somehow. And keep in mind relations can do this stuff on your device behind your back.

And after doing so, even restoring from a previous clean install (which I did by deleting all of my old backups a while back when I noticed this issue first appear) still results in a prompt for that person's password if you restore via that specific clean install at any point in the future (today for me); with their Apple ID name (email address) pre-entered into the first field, and a blank password field below it.

Furthermore, it's worth pointing out that activating iMessage has absolutely no connection to the SIM card. It's activated to the device itself; hence why I have the issue on a wifi-only iPad that has no SIM tray.

Will investigate further. I myself will still be looking for a way to dis-associate their Apple ID from my device. Even hitting cancel for me results in multiple requests/pop-ups for the same thing.

Small update:
Someone on another forum suggested that when the prompt appears that rather then hitting Cancel or OK you tap into the field of that unwanted Apple ID address above the password field and manually delete it and enter in your own Apple ID and password and hit OK. I guess their thinking is that even if your Apple ID is currently logged into all stores and services on said device your this action will somehow overwrite their Apple ID in the iMessage section of Apple's servers that has the association with this device. I will try this when I see my niece's Apple ID password dialog appear again, but I have serious doubts any actual overwriting will happen - even if the appearance is that it may have worked.

I will update this again tomorrow with more info.

SOLVED: in my case my niece had synced her iPod touch with my computer and her iTunes purchased music went into my iTunes purchased folder; a folder I had synced with my iPad. And this is the reason her account password request was appearing. FINALLY nailed it. Be gone her music, be gone!