You need an Apple ID for almost everything on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. That includes signing up for Apple Music, downloading free apps, or making FaceTime calls. Unfortunately, it’s common for your device to say “We’ve run into a problem” when creating or signing in to your Apple ID account, which stops you from doing these things.
If your iPhone, iPad, or Mac runs into this Apple ID problem, here are all the ways you can fix it. We’ve started with the quickest solution, to get your Apple ID up and running in no time.
Related:
- Getting a message to update Apple ID settings on iPhone, iPad, or Mac?
- Error connecting to Apple ID, verification failed. How to fix
- Weird Apple ID bug prompts workaround in App Store
- Cannot connect to iTunes or App Store
Contents
Fix 1. Test your Internet connection
A likely cause for Apple ID problems is that your device lost its Internet connection. When this happens, your iPhone, iPad, or Mac can’t verify Apple ID details to create or log in to your account.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and connect to a Wi-Fi network. On a Mac, click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar to connect to a network.
Then load a fresh page in Safari to test your Internet connection.
If your device can’t load anything in Safari, restart your Wi-Fi router or contact your Internet service provider for more help. You need to fix your Wi-Fi issues before you can fix your Apple ID account.
Fix 2. Review your Apple ID details
You usually need to review your Apple ID details shortly after creating your account. If you saw an alert saying “We’ve run into a problem,” it may have given you the option to Review your details straight away.
Unfortunately, this link rarely works. It’s better to review your Apple ID details manually using the Settings or System Preferences on your device instead.
On a Mac, go to Apple > System Preferences from the menu bar, then click on Apple ID. On an iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app and tap Your Name at the top of the screen.
Review each of the following details on your device. If anything is incorrect, use the Edit button to fix it:
- Name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Payment method
- Shipping address
Fix 3. Change your payment method
It’s possible that your iPhone, iPad, or Mac ran into an Apple ID problem due to an issue with your payment method. You need to add a valid payment method to your account even if you only use it to download free apps.
The simplest way to fix payment information problems is to change to a different payment method on your Apple ID account. If this works, you can always change back to your original method at a later stage.
On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Payment & Shipping.
On a Mac, open the Apple Music app and go to Account > View My Account from the menu bar. Sign in to your Apple ID account and click the Manage Payments button in the Apple ID Summary.
Use the Add Payment Method button and add any of the available methods, which might include:
- Apple Pay
- Credit/Debit Card
- PayPal
If adding a Credit or Debit card, make sure you enter the CVV number.
After adding a new payment method, use the Edit button to Remove your original method.
Fix 4. Verify your email address
When you create a new Apple ID account, Apple sends you a verification email to make sure you own that address. You need to click a link in this email to activate your account before you can use it with iTunes, the App Store, or any other Apple services.
If you haven’t been able to use your Apple ID account since creating it, look for a verification email in your inbox. There might be a lot of emails to look through, so type “Apple” into the search bar to filter them down.
You should also check your Spam, Junk, and Trash folders.
If you can’t find the verification email, sign in to the Apple ID website again to Resend the email. Should it let you sign in without any problems, you don’t need to verify your email address.
Fix 5. Create a new Apple ID account
If your iPhone, iPad, or Mac said “We’ve run into a problem” immediately after creating an Apple ID account, you might need to create a new Apple ID account instead.
You shouldn’t create a new Apple ID account if you already used your original account to purchase apps, sign up to services, or store files in iCloud Drive. You can’t transfer purchases to another account, so if you create a new one you will lose all your existing purchases.
If you haven’t used your Apple ID account at all so far, visit the Apple ID website to create a new one to use. The Apple ID website is the best way to create a new account.
Click the Create Your Apple ID button to get started.
After you create a new account, you should use it for every Apple service across all of your Apple devices. It’s not a good idea to use two different accounts because it separates your data and purchases.
On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [Your Name], then scroll to the bottom and Sign Out of your old account. Then sign in again using your new one. This should change the account for App Store, Apple Music, iMessage, FaceTime, and other services.
To do the same thing on a Mac, open the Apple menu and go to System Preferences > Apple ID. Select Overview in the sidebar, then click Sign Out.
Speak to Apple Support for more help
Most people should be able to use their Apple ID account now without running into any problems. If your iPhone or Mac still says “We’ve run into a problem,” you need to contact Apple Support for more help.
Find out how to reach Apple’s support team to start a one-to-one chat with an Apple advisor for free. They should be able to fix any account issues with your Apple ID.
Dan writes tutorials and troubleshooting guides to help people make the most of their technology. Before becoming a writer, he earned a BSc in Sound Technology, supervised repairs at an Apple Store, and even taught English in China.
Emma Whyton says
Morning, I’ve set up an apple id this morning on my daughters new phone but every time i try to add a bank account in order for her to downloads apps we have an error message saying its failed!
MIchael Laws says
Im trying to make an account but after i filled out all the information it tells me “Theres been a problem, try again later” I know all the information is correct so whats the problem?
Allenlynch says
mine will send me my email to finish it
Debra D Fleming says
Why do you need a credit card number to create an apple I’d ?