Random Apple ID password resets and lock-outs are plaguing iPhone, iPad and Mac users

Apple iPhone 15 held in the hand.
(Image credit: Future)

If you were inexplicably logged out of your Apple ID this weekend and had to reset your password, you're not alone. It's been happening since Thursday (April 25), according to a slew of reports on social media of people turning on their iPhones, iPads, Macs and other Apple devices only to find they’ve been logged out. Worse still, nobody seems to know why. 

Though I'm team Android, I can confirm the issue as a friend of mine with one of the best iPhones ran into it on Thursday. At the time, we were in a mad dash to catch her first Metra trip into Chicago, so I assumed Apple was prompting her to reset her password because of some issue with connecting her card to the train's fare app. Imagine my surprise when I logged on this weekend to see reports of the very same thing happening to many other Apple users. 

Apple hasn't yet offered an explanation about what could be behind it, but we've reached out for comment and will update this once we know more. One Mastodon user who managed to get in touch with Apple's support team said they were told “sometimes random security improvements are added to your account.” Meanwhile on Reddit, a person posted in a thread about the issue that Apple support told them their password “was changed around midnight" on Saturday. 

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Alyse Stanley
News Editor

Alyse Stanley is a news editor at Tom’s Guide, overseeing weekend coverage and writing about the latest in tech, gaming, and entertainment. Before Tom’s Guide, Alyse worked as an editor for the Washington Post’s sunsetted video game section, Launcher. She previously led Gizmodo’s weekend news desk and has written game reviews and features for outlets like Polygon, Unwinnable, and Rock, Paper, Shotgun. She’s a big fan of horror movies, cartoons, and roller skating. She's also a puzzle fan and can often be found contributing to the NYT Connections coverage on Tom's Guide