What authorizing your computer means

Authorizing a computer with iTunes means telling Apple that you own or regularly use that machine, so you can play music, audiobooks, and video you've bought from the iTunes Store on it. Without authorization, you can buy content but won't be able to play it back.

Apple limits you to authorize up to five computers at once under a single Apple ID. This is a licensing restriction — it prevents one person from sharing their iTunes purchases across dozens of machines. Once you authorize a computer, anyone who uses that machine can play your purchased content on it, even if they log in with a different account.

The authorization process itself takes less than a minute. You'll need your Apple ID and password, and your computer needs an internet connection.

Key Takeaways

  • You authorize a computer by opening iTunes (or the Music app on newer Macs), signing in with your Apple ID, and selecting Authorize This Computer from the Account menu.
  • You can authorize up to five computers under one Apple ID, and deauthorizing one frees up that slot so you can authorize a different machine.
  • On Windows, you'll use iTunes; on Mac, the process depends on your macOS version — newer Macs use the Music app instead.
  • If you forget which computers you've authorized, you can view and manage them from your Apple ID account settings online.

How to authorize on a Mac

On newer Macs running macOS Monterey or later, Apple replaced iTunes with the Music app. Open the Music app, go to the menu bar at the top, click Music, then select Authorize This Computer. Enter your Apple ID and password when prompted.

On older Macs with iTunes still installed, open iTunes, click Account in the menu bar, then select Authorize This Computer. Sign in with your Apple ID and password.

After authorization succeeds, you'll see a confirmation message. Your computer is now linked to that Apple ID and can play purchased content.

How to authorize on Windows

Open iTunes on your Windows machine. In the menu bar at the top of the window, click Account, then select Authorize This Computer.

A dialog box will appear asking for your Apple ID and password. Enter both and click Authorize. You'll see a confirmation that the computer is now authorized.

If you don't see an Account menu, make sure you're signed into iTunes with your Apple ID first. Click the account icon (usually in the top right corner) and sign in before trying to authorize.

What to do if you've hit the five-computer limit

Once you've authorized five computers, you can't authorize a sixth one until you deauthorize one of the existing five. You have two ways to do this.

The fastest way is to deauthorize directly from the computer you want to remove. Open iTunes or Music, go to Account in the menu bar, and select Deauthorize This Computer. Enter your Apple ID and password. That computer is now deauthorized and no longer counts toward your limit.

If you can't access one of your authorized computers — for example, if you sold it or it stopped working — you can deauthorize it remotely through your Apple ID account online. Go to appleid.apple.com, sign in, scroll to Security, and look for Devices or Manage your Apple ID. Find the computer you want to remove and select the option to deauthorize it. You can do this once per year; if you need to deauthorize more than one computer remotely in a year, you'll have to wait until the next calendar year or contact Apple Support.

Why authorization matters for your purchases

Authorization is Apple's way of enforcing the licensing terms you agreed to when you bought the content. When you buy a song or movie, you're buying a license to play it on your devices — not buying the right to share it with everyone you know or install it on unlimited computers.

If you try to play purchased content on a computer that isn't authorized, iTunes or Music will ask you to authorize it first. You can't bypass this by logging in as a different user on the same machine — once a computer is authorized to an Apple ID, anyone using that computer can play that ID's purchases.

This also means that if you share a computer with someone else and they authorize it to their Apple ID, you won't be able to play your purchases on that machine anymore unless you're logged into your own account in iTunes or Music.

Viewing and managing your authorized computers

To see which computers you've authorized, go to appleid.apple.com and sign in with your Apple ID. Look for a section called Devices or Security (the exact name varies by region and account type). You'll see a list of all computers and devices linked to your account.

From this page, you can see the name of each computer, when it was authorized, and options to deauthorize it. If you see a computer you don't recognize or no longer use, you can remove it from here. This is especially useful if you've upgraded machines over the years and forgotten which ones are still authorized.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to authorize every computer I use?

Only if you want to play iTunes purchases on it. If you only use a computer to buy content or to manage your library, authorization isn't required. You only need it to actually play back music, audiobooks, or video you've bought.

What happens if I authorize a computer and then sell it?

Deauthorize it before you hand it over. Open iTunes or Music, go to Account, and select Deauthorize This Computer. This removes the authorization and frees up that slot so you can authorize a different machine later. If you forget to deauthorize before selling, you can still remove it remotely from your Apple ID account online.

Can I authorize the same computer twice?

No. Once a computer is authorized to your Apple ID, it stays authorized until you deauthorize it. Trying to authorize it again will just confirm that it's already authorized. If you want to switch it to a different Apple ID, deauthorize it first, then authorize it again with the new ID.

Why does iTunes ask me to authorize even though I already did?

This usually means your authorization expired or was removed. Sign out of iTunes or Music completely, then sign back in with your Apple ID. Go to Account and select Authorize This Computer again. If it keeps asking, try restarting your computer and repeating the process.

Can I authorize a computer without an internet connection?

No. Your computer needs to connect to Apple's servers to complete the authorization process. Make sure you're connected to the internet before you try to authorize.