"Update Apple ID Settings"

DaveWT

Well-Known Member
I have been on Big Sur since its release and have made no recent changes that I recall. But recently I have noticed this flag appearing in the dock:

Screen Shot 2021-02-24 at 9.58.53 AM.png

So I click on the icon to go to System Preferences and see the flag on my Apple ID icon:

Screen Shot 2021-02-24 at 9.59.17 AM.png

Clicking on that icon brings up this warning so I click on the "Continue" button:

Screen Shot 2021-02-24 at 9.59.39 AM.png

Which tells me that I need to update my Apple ID settings so I click on the "Continue" button there:

Screen Shot 2021-02-24 at 9.59.56 AM.png

And that returns me to the previous screen with the warning removed and the dock icon cleared:

Screen Shot 2021-02-24 at 10.00.19 AM.png

Screen Shot 2021-02-24 at 10.00.39 AM.png

But a few days later it is all back. What is going on and how do I get this warning to go away permanently? I haven't noticed anything not working.

Dave
 

chas_m

Well-Known Member
You will want to do exactly as it suggests: sign in again. If the prompt doesn't bring to a place to sign in, you can click on the "Sign out" button (seen in your screenshot above). You may be prompted if you want to copy anything stored exclusively on iCloud to be saved to your Mac, say yes. Then sign in again. You might then be asked if you want to merge the stuff that was on your iCloud with what is on your Mac, and you would say yes.

Normally this is a less labourious process, but for some reason you're not getting the drop-down that has you sign in again directly from the "Continue" button in your third screenshot. Make sure you are up-to-date with your macOS version, that may prevent that from happening the next time.

As to why you are getting this message, Apple does periodically check to make sure that the person using the Apple ID is the authorized person who knows the password. Doesn't happen very often, but it's a good double-check to be sure it's still you in control of the account.
 

DaveWT

Well-Known Member
Of course you were correct in hinting that the dialogs presented never offered me a chance to sign in again. However then I noticed a flag on my Settings on my iPhone and when I went there, and followed its direction it did eventually ask me to sign out and sign back in, That cleared it up there and also on my iMac. All good now. And as to being up-to-date with macOS I am now at 11.2.2
 
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