What authorizing a computer in iTunes means

Authorizing a computer in iTunes lets you play music, movies, and TV shows you bought from the iTunes Store on that device. When you buy content from Apple, it's tied to your Apple ID. Authorization confirms that your computer has permission to play that content — without it, you'll see a lock icon and won't be able to listen or watch.

You can authorize up to five computers per Apple ID at any given time. If you reach that limit and want to use a new computer, you'll need to deauthorize an old one first. Authorization stays active until you manually remove it or until you deauthorize all computers at once from your account settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Open iTunes, go to Account menu, and select Authorize This Computer to sign in with your Apple ID.
  • You can authorize up to five computers per Apple ID, and each one stores a copy of your authorization.
  • If you've reached your five-computer limit, deauthorize an old computer before authorizing a new one.
  • Deauthorizing removes the permission to play purchased content on that computer, but doesn't delete the files themselves.

How to authorize a computer on Windows or Mac

Open iTunes on the computer you want to authorize. At the top of the window, click the Account menu (on Windows) or look under the menu bar for Account (on Mac). Select Authorize This Computer from the dropdown.

A window will appear asking you to sign in. Enter the Apple ID and password associated with the iTunes purchases you want to play. Click Authorize. The computer is now authorized, and you should see a confirmation message. You can now play any content bought with that Apple ID on this computer.

If you don't see an Account menu, make sure you're using iTunes version 12.1 or later. Older versions use slightly different menu locations. You can check your version by clicking Help > About iTunes (Windows) or iTunes > About iTunes (Mac).

What to do if you've authorized five computers already

iTunes limits you to five authorized computers per Apple ID. If you try to authorize a sixth computer, you'll get an error message saying you've reached your limit. To authorize the new computer, you must first deauthorize one of the old ones.

Open iTunes on any authorized computer. Go to Account menu and select Deauthorize This Computer. Sign in with your Apple ID when prompted. That computer is now deauthorized and no longer counts toward your five-computer limit. You can now authorize your new computer using the steps above.

If you no longer have access to one of your five authorized computers (for example, if you sold it or it broke), you can deauthorize all computers at once from your Apple ID account settings online. Go to appleid.apple.com, sign in, scroll to Security, and look for the option to deauthorize all computers. This resets your count to zero, and you can then authorize your current devices fresh.

Deauthorizing a computer you no longer use

When you sell, give away, or stop using a computer, deauthorize it so that machine can no longer play your iTunes purchases. This also frees up one of your five authorization slots for a new device.

On the computer itself, open iTunes, go to Account menu, and select Deauthorize This Computer. Sign in with your Apple ID. The computer is now deauthorized. Deauthorizing does not delete your music, movies, or TV shows from that computer — it only removes the permission to play them. If someone else uses that computer later, they won't be able to play content tied to your Apple ID.

If you can't access the computer anymore, you can deauthorize it remotely through your Apple ID account online at appleid.apple.com. However, this option deauthorizes all your computers at once, not just one, so use it only when necessary.

Troubleshooting authorization problems

If you see an error message when trying to authorize, first check that you're using the correct Apple ID and password. The ID you use to authorize must be the same one you used to buy the content. If you've changed your Apple ID password recently, sign out of iTunes completely, then sign back in with your new password before trying to authorize again.

If iTunes won't let you authorize because you've hit the five-computer limit but you're sure you don't have five computers authorized, you may have authorized computers in the past that you no longer remember. In that case, go to appleid.apple.com, sign in, find the Security section, and deauthorize all computers. This resets your count. You'll then be able to authorize your current computer.

Make sure your internet connection is stable when authorizing — the computer needs to contact Apple's servers to complete the process. If your connection drops during authorization, try again once you're back online.

Understanding what happens after authorization

Once a computer is authorized, iTunes stores a record of that authorization locally on the machine. This means you don't need to be online every time you play purchased content — the authorization persists even if you're not connected to the internet. However, you do need to be online at least once every 30 days for iTunes to refresh the authorization and keep it active.

If you don't connect to the internet for more than 30 days, your authorization may expire and you'll see a lock icon on your content again. Simply connect to the internet and open iTunes to refresh it. You won't need to re-authorize — just being online is enough to reactivate the existing authorization.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I authorize the same computer twice with different Apple IDs?

Yes. A single computer can be authorized with up to five different Apple IDs, so multiple people can play their purchased content on the same machine. Each person signs in with their own Apple ID when they authorize, and each one counts as one of that person's five authorized computers.

What happens to my music if I deauthorize a computer?

The music files stay on the computer — deauthorizing only removes the permission to play them. The files themselves don't disappear. If you want to remove the files, you'll need to delete them manually from your music library or hard drive.

Do I need to authorize a computer to download purchases from iTunes?

No. You can download content to any computer using your Apple ID. Authorization is only required to play the content after you've downloaded it. If you download something and see a lock icon, that computer isn't authorized for that Apple ID.

Can I authorize a computer if I don't remember my Apple ID password?

You'll need to reset your password before you can authorize. Go to iforgot.apple.com, enter your Apple ID email address, and follow the steps to reset your password. Once you've set a new password, you can use it to authorize your computer in iTunes.

What's the difference between authorizing and signing in to iTunes?

Signing in to iTunes lets you download and manage your purchases. Authorizing specifically gives that computer permission to play the content you've bought. You can be signed in without being authorized, but you won't be able to play protected purchases until you authorize.