Fixed! My Apple ID Greyed Out in Settings on iPhone/iPad

Kelly Wu
Last updated: Jan 13, 2025

Discover why your Apple ID is grayed out in Settings and learn effective solutions to regain access to Apple ID.

Recently, many iPhone and iPad users have encountered a situation - Apple ID is greyed out in Settings. This frustrating issue prevents you from using features like App Store purchases and iCloud backup and switching settings associated with your Apple account. Whether you’re trying to update your iOS system or manage Apple services, you need to fix the “Apple ID greyed out” issue as soon as possible.

In this article, we’ll figure out the possible reasons why your Apple ID is greyed out and accordingly provide proven methods to regain access to your Apple ID settings. Hopefully, you can get back to enjoying your Apple ID services with simple clicks.

Fixed! My Apple ID Greyed Out in Settings on iPhone/iPad

Why Is My Apple ID Greyed Out in Settings?

It can be frustrating when you see a greyed-out Apple ID. Especially when you need to access important Apple features and services, this issue will prevent you from downloading apps, making purchases, or syncing data across different devices. When this occurs, you may ask why your Apple ID is grayed out. Various factors can lead to this problem. In this part, we’ll explore the common reasons behind this issue. In terms of this, you’ll figure out how to regain access to your Apple ID.

Why Is My Apple ID Greyed Out in Settings
  • If you’re facing an unstable Internet connection, you might have difficulty signing to your Apple ID.
  • There might be some issues with Apple’s server, which may prevent Apple ID from being verified.
  • If you’ve incorrectly entered your Apple password several times, your Apple ID will be temporarily locked for security reasons.
  • If your Screen Time feature is enabled, you cannot make any changes to your Apple ID settings either.
  • If your iPhone or iPad is supervised by a school or an organization, you might be restricted from changing Apple ID settings.
  • If your device is in the process of restoring apps from a backup, you might not be accessible to Apple ID for a while.

How Do I Fix the Apple ID Greyed Out in Settings?

When your Apple ID is greyed out, you fail to access essential features such as iCloud, App Store, and other Apple services. Based on the possible reasons behind this issue, you have several solutions to work on to troubleshoot the problem. In this part, we’ll walk you through these methods step by step. In a few minutes, you can regain full access to your Apple functions and services.

Restart Your iPhone/iPad

In most cases, a simple restart can resolve temporary Apple ID glitches. What you need to do is turn off your device, wait a few seconds, and turn it on again.

Here’s how to restart your iPhone:

Restart Your iPhone
  • iPhone X and Later Models: Press and hold the side and volume buttons until you see the slider. Drag the slider to turn it off.
  • iPhone 8 and 8 Plus: Press and hold the side and volume up/down buttons until you see the slider. Drag the slider to turn it off.
  • iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: Press the volume down and side buttons until you see the slider. Drag the slider to turn it off.
  • iPhone 6s and Earlier Models: Press the home and top or side buttons until you see the slider.

Verify Network Connection

Typically, a disruption in network connection can also lead to Apple ID being greyed out on the iPhone. Whether there is a weak Wi-Fi signal or a misconfigured network setting, a bad Internet connection will prevent you from communicating with Apple’s server. To resolve this issue, take the following steps to verify your network connection or reset network settings.

To check your Wi-Fi or cellular connection, you can:

  1. Open Settings and select the Wi-Fi or the Cellular option.
  2. Check if the Wi-Fi feature or Cellular data is toggled on.
  3. Test the Open Internet connection by using Safari or other apps.

If you’re experiencing a poor Internet connection, you can toggle on and off the Airplane mode to restart the Internet connection.

If you're still facing the network issue, you can also reset network settings:

Reset Network Settings
  1. Open Settings and tap on the General option.
  2. Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  3. Choose the Reset icon and select Reset Network Settings. This will erase your Wi-Fi passwords and VPN settings.

Check Apple System Status

Apple provides a real-time status page to monitor the operation status of its services like Apple ID and iCloud. By verifying if there is any issue with Apple’s server, you can find out whether the problem is on your end or because of a widespread outage. This is an important step because you don’t need to engage in other unnecessary troubleshooting efforts if there is a temporary server problem.

Check Apple System Status

Here, we will demonstrate how to check the Apple system status:

  1. Launch a browser on your iOS device.
  2. Navigate to the official Apple System Status page.
  3. When the page loads, you can see a list of Apple services with their real-time status.
  4. If the service is functional, it will show a green dot; if the service has any issue, it will show a yellow or red dot.
  5. Click to view more details of your greyed-out Apple ID, which will offer you more information about the problem.
  6. If you want to check the latest status, you can refresh the page.

Check for Software Updates

To better enjoy Apple’s features and services, you should always keep your iOS system up to date. This can not only fix system bugs but also protect your system from vulnerabilities. Thus, when you see a greyed-out Apple ID, take the following steps to check and make an update:

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Scroll down and select “General”.
  3. Tap on “Software Update” to check if your system is up to date.
Check for Software Updates

Disable Screen Time Restrictions

Screen Time is designed to monitor and manage your device usage, but it can also prevent you from modifying Apple ID settings. To fix Apple ID greyed out, you can check and adjust your Screen Time settings:

  1. Open Settings on your home screen.
  2. Choose the Screen Time option.
  3. Check if there are any restrictions on your Apple ID.

Remove Apple ID

If you cannot resolve the issue with the mentioned solutions, you can remove your Apple ID. Considering that your Apple ID is greyed out, you should use third-party tools like BuhoUnlocker to unlock it without a password. As a professional iPhone Unlocker, it can remove various locks without a password. Once you've removed your Apple ID, you can sign in to your Apple account again and access its features. However, you should always back up your data before unlocking steps.

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Step 1. Free download and install BuhoUnlocker on your computer and connect your iPhone or iPad to the computer.

Step 2. Open the software and select the Remove Apple ID option.

BuhoUnlocker Remove Apple ID

Step 3. Read the notes and click on the Remove Now button to initiate the removal process.

Remove Apple ID with BuhoUnlocker

Step 4. Wait for a few minutes to complete the process.

Remove Apple ID Successful

Conclusion

It’s frustrating to face Apple ID greyed out on your iPhone or iPad. However, there are several methods you can try to fix this issue. By restarting your device and verifying your Internet connection, you can get rid of the problem in most cases. If these methods fail to address the issue, you can use BuhoUnlocker to remove your Apple ID and sign in to your account back again. In a few minutes, you’ll regain access to your Apple features and services.

Living in Chengdu, Kelly is an Apple technician focused on Mac, iPhone, and iOS repairs. Meanwhile, he's also a columnist at Dr.Buho, with a simple mission to help fix Apple things that are with software or hardware glitches.