iCloud PSA: 20 Years of Digital Life, Gone in an Instant, thanks to Apple

[bsmr]

This one really doesn't sound nice.

And everyone should be warned that it could happen to them too. So make (real) backups. No Time Machine and don't refer to Apple backups within iCloud (for contacts and so on).

Don't use Apple Passwords (!!!!) and don't use iCloud Mail solely!

20 Years of Digital Life, Gone in an Instant, thanks to Apple

Summary: A major brick-and-mortar store sold an Apple Gift Card that Apple seemingly took offence to, and locked out my entire Apple ID, effectively bricking my devices and my iCloud Account, Apple …

hey.paris

I am very curious to see how the story will end.

 

[C-Dub87]

This is horrible. I hope they get their account back soon.

 

[kitKAC]

No Time Machine

Time Machine has nothing to do with your Apple ID though.

From that page...

The Trigger: The only recent activity on my account was a recent attempt to redeem a $500 Apple Gift Card to pay for my 6TB iCloud+ storage plan. The code failed. The vendor suggested that the card number was likely compromised and agreed to reissue it. Shortly after, my account was locked.

Looks like Apple blocked that persons account as they thought they were trying to commit fraud.

 

[doogm]

This one really doesn't sound nice.

And everyone should be warned that it could happen to them too. So make (real) backups. No Time Machine and don't refer to Apple backups within iCloud (for contacts and so on).

Don't use Apple Passwords (!!!!) and don't use iCloud Mail solely!

20 Years of Digital Life, Gone in an Instant, thanks to Apple

Summary: A major brick-and-mortar store sold an Apple Gift Card that Apple seemingly took offence to, and locked out my entire Apple ID, effectively bricking my devices and my iCloud Account, Apple …

hey.paris

I am very curious to see how the story will end.

Well, also don't buy Apple gift cards from third parties. Just use a credit card, or, if you really need to do so, buy Apple gift cards from only Apple itself.

This user had way too many photos to fit on an internal drive using iCloud Photo Library and having photos copied to the Mac, so I'd also suggest, if you are in that situation (I am not), export photos in bunches (one for each year?) and store them off of iCloud Drive.

 

[baconcat_8964]

Gift Cards from third parties, especially redeem codes, might be bought with stolen credit cards. I have friends got their PSN and Nintendo Account disabled, just because they want to save $10 on gift cards.

But yeah, they should have better customer services for handling this kind of appeals, not just suggesting create another account.

 

[doogm]

But yeah, they should have better customer services for handling this kind of appeals, not just suggesting create another account.

I get it. Apple must have millions of users with accounts, and certainly lots of people trying to scam them. Making their default being if there is anything fishy, disable the account, is probably right almost all of the time.

 

[TheIntruder]

This could occur with any service provider, not just Apple, and a reminder that entrusting everything to the cloud, and relying on these companies that write their EULAs filled with CYA language has its risks.

In my experience, at least with Apple, I found that it's relatively easy to reach and speak to a human, not a script reader from a foreign country (but from Austin, TX).

They had no access to the information, so couldn't tell me why my account was mysteriously locked, but did easily comprehend the situation, and escalate to tier two on their own volition. Fortunately, it resolved itself quickly.

 

[SuzyM70]

Posted on his Bluesky account: “account restored?!More info soon.”

 

[doogm]

Posted on his Bluesky account: “account restored?!More info soon.”

I am happy it's working out for him, but, unfortunately, it's not possible for normal people to have social media posts spread among semi-famous Apple tech influencers, and then getting the attention of people high up at Apple, like this was.

 

[C-Dub87]

I am happy it's working out for him, but, unfortunately, it's not possible for normal people to have social media posts spread among semi-famous Apple tech influencers, and then getting the attention of people high up at Apple, like this was.

It took a social media explosion and a vague threat of legal action for the company to even pay attention.

There needs to be legal/social mechanisms to protect people from things like this.

Right now it’s a bit of a Wild West, and companies will use their “policy” to steamroll normal people.

 

[doogm]

Apparently it's still unresolved.

For what it's worth, Apple Insider was contacted by an Apple support advisor and suggested that there may be more to the story than what Mr. Buttfield-Addison told. https://appleinsider.com/articles/2...gift-card-purchase-destroyed-an-apple-account

The contact goes on to insist they have seen the media and purchases side of things get locked out, but that would involve a different set of terms than what could make an entire account inactive. While not impossible, they add that they haven't seen this sort of behavior triggered by a single gift card redemption attempt.

The implication is that there is possibly something else interfering with the accounts.

 

[MisterSavage]

Time Machine has nothing to do with your Apple ID though.

That's what I was going to say also.

 

[SuzyM70]

Update from his original post:

Update 18 December 2025: We’re back! A lovely man from Singapore, working for Apple Executive Relations, who has been calling me every so often for a couple of days, has let me know it’s all fixed. It looks like the gift card I tried to redeem, which did not work for me, and did not credit my account, was already redeemed in some way (sounds like classic gift card tampering), and my account was caught by that. Obviously it’s unacceptable that this can happen, and I’m still trying to get more information out of him, but at least things are now mostly working. Strangely, he did tell me to only ever buy gift cards from Apple themselves; I asked if that means Apple’s supply chain of Blackhawk Network, InComm, and other gift card vendors is insecure, and he was unwilling to comment. I’ll post a more substantive update soon!

John Gruber's new post on the issue.