Apple Inc. has suffered one of the longest and rather embarrassing outages, causing problems for Apple device users. The company has brought back its ailing servers online. However, it hasn’t offered any reasons or explanation about the issues that lasted for more than 24 hours.
Several Apple device users, particularly those who bought or received new Apple iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch, HomePod, etc. couldn’t register, activate, or login. Apparently, Apple’s servers, particularly those dealing with activation, were facing issues.
Apple has addressed the majority of the issues. But the company is yet to offer any clarification or apology about the day-long outage.
Apple plasters the word ‘Resolved’ on its ‘System Status’ page:
Apple-branded devices users need to sync them with the company’s servers. Apple insists its buyers create an Apple ID and also have an iCloud account. These accounts and the servers that support them, offer secure authorization, authentication, and even remote cloud-hosted storage.
An Apple ID is the first and the most basic requirement for any Apple device user. Be it Apple Watch, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and MacBook computers, users cannot go much further without a valid Apple account.
Apple iCloud sign-in and activation issue appears resolved after nearly 36 hours https://t.co/9AT6AjGwlX
— iTech (@iTech_iNews) December 27, 2020
An Apple ID and iCloud account offer immense benefits. But, being unable to log-on to these accounts and services renders the majority of Apple devices heavily restricted.
This is precisely what happened to many Apple device users. The problem was more profound for new owners who had bought a new Apple device or received one as a gift for Christmas 2020.
Update! #Apple #iCloud Account and Sign In issue caused device activation, setup problems for over a day, but the issue appears to be resolved. https://t.co/HvLAapXfjN pic.twitter.com/NrQeAAxYpt
— primo4k (@primo4k) December 26, 2020
According to the iCloud account and sign-in entry on Apple’s system status page, the issue became a persistent and profound one on Christmas Day. More than 24 hours later, on December 26, the Apple system status page indicated that the issue remained “ongoing.
However, the Apple System Status page now claims the iCloud issue is “resolved”. As expected from Apple, the company hasn’t offered any specifics about how widespread the problems might have been. The company merely said, “some users were affected.”
Besides iCloud, Apple ID also suffered an outage, but the company is silent?
Besides the Apple iCloud sign-in and sync issue, several Apple device users also complained about not being able to use Apple ID. Needless to mention, Apple ID is the first step that users need to successfully complete using their valid login credentials.
Several users claimed they cannot enter Apple IDs successfully, and hence, the authentication fails. Repeated attempts to get inside one’s own account in iCloud or Apple ID resulted in a generic error message such as “Verification failed – there was an error verifying the passcode”.
It is interesting to note that Apple is yet to officially acknowledge the issue with Apple ID. The company has apparently addressed the issue but hasn’t mentioned the same.
We know your mom is eager to have everything working and appreciate you helping to set them up. We are experiencing a high capacity at this time which is impacting your ability to set up iCloud, please try back in a couple of hours. https://t.co/waNYZdXpJm
— Apple Support (@AppleSupport) December 25, 2020
In a Twitter reply to the query of an Apple user looking to set up an iPad and a HomePod Mini, the official Apple Support account acknowledged problems, saying the company was “experiencing a high capacity at this time which is impacting your ability to set up iCloud.” The tweet advised, “please try back in a couple of hours.”
With the Apple servers back online and functioning smoothly, the majority of Apple device users have logged back in. Although Apple won’t offer specifics, it is quite likely the servers were merely overburdened from the holiday rush. In other words, the outage was likely the result of a large volume of people rushing to set up their Apple ID or update their iCloud accounts following the Christmas holiday.