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Wrong E-Mail Address Keeps Appearing: Unable to Restore iCloud Backup on iPhone 5S

J

JPM42

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 21, 2007
275
7
So, I'm turning on my iPhone 5S to set up, and as I enter in my Apple ID and password to restore from iCloud backup, it asks me to choose my backup. So I choose it, but then it asks me to enter the password of my Apple ID for purchases on the iTunes Store. The problem is that, on this screen, the Apple ID (e-mail address) changes to an incredibly old one that I haven't used in years. Thus, when I try to enter my password in, it keeps rejecting it. Setting a new password, nothing accepts it. It's really weird, because I've never had this issue before. In fact, just last week, I did a restore on my iPad, and this didn't appear at all.

Does anyone know what's causing this and how to fix this? I'd really love to start using this phone.

Thanks!
 
There is an app or Apps in your backup which are tied to your old ID, or someone else's ID, ( old device Jailbroken?). An old email address just wouldn't pop up. Let all your other apps restore and then look for the one that is still grey'd out/waiting and once everything is done, tap on it and it should try to download it again thus prompting you to enter the password for that email. If it is a free app, remove it and re-download it with the right apple ID. If it is paid, well figure out your old email password to download it. If your previous devices was jailbroken, and it was a paid app'd downloaded for free, it wont work.
 
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I encountered that at first with my launch day 5s, I just skipped that ancient ID. Couldn't find anything missing. Saw a couple of popups over the next few days as I left wifi about connecting to wifi to restore purchases.

More recently I did a backup to my computer and restored the phone after a swiftunlocks.com unlock and it was fine.
 
Same thing here

Hey Guys,
I had the same thing happen to me after using the website swiftunlocks.com. After I restored my wife's iphone, I continued getting a pop up in itunes app requesting me to enter my acct info, it was strange email address that NEVER was associated with my account. Additionally, when I purchased my 5s I attempted to do icloud backup and had the SAME EXACT ISSUE AS OP. I think it has something to do with the swiftunlocks unlocking our phones. I emailed support for swiftunlocks, the guy responded buy did not offer me any advice.
 
deeddawg said:
More recently I did a backup to my computer and restored the phone after a swiftunlocks.com unlock and it was fine.
Click to expand...

tworth23 said:
I think it has something to do with the swiftunlocks unlocking our phones. I emailed support for swiftunlocks, the guy responded buy did not offer me any advice.
Click to expand...

Umm, no. Nothing to do with swiftunlocks unless they own a time machine.

Re-read my post; I saw the problem on the restore from icloud when I first bought the phone. I didn't have it after the swiftunlocks unlock.

The difference being that (a) the first restore was from an icloud backup of my 4S (running iOS7 GM) after buying my 5s on launch day and (b) the second restore was from an itunes backup of the 5s a week later after doing the swiftunlocks unlock.

The issue may be from using an icloud backup, or it may be from using a backup of a different model phone, or perhaps even related to using a backup from a phone upgraded to iOS7 or that was on iOS7 GM. I don't see where swiftunlocks would have anything to do with it whatsoever.
 
Deedawg

I read your post. What I'm telling you is that I believe it has something to do with swiftunlocks because prior to unlocking my wife's phone with swiftunlocks, I've done icloud restores with no issue. Directly after restore and upon attempting to do iCloud restore, I experienced same issue as OP where I received Random pop-ups with an unknown email address to enter my iTunes info. Then, when trying to restore from icloud backup on my brand-new 5S, This unknown email address was grayed out and I was not able to enter my correct email address for my iTunes info, just like the OP. I believe it is a swift unlocks issue but I have no proof of that, it never happened before to me prior to doing the unlocking
 
tworth23 said:
I read your post. What I'm telling you is that I believe it has something to do with swiftunlocks because prior to unlocking my wife's phone with swiftunlocks, I've done icloud restores with no issue.
Click to expand...

What is your theory for why I experienced the issue on a brand new locked phone when I'd never done anything with swiftunlocks? How would they have had anything to do with my phone when I'd never done anything at all with them until a week later?

I'm also curious as to the mechanism you believe is involved.

I also don't see anything in the OP regarding swiftunlocks.
 
JPM42 said:
So, I'm turning on my iPhone 5S to set up, and as I enter in my Apple ID and password to restore from iCloud backup, it asks me to choose my backup. So I choose it, but then it asks me to enter the password of my Apple ID for purchases on the iTunes Store. The problem is that, on this screen, the Apple ID (e-mail address) changes to an incredibly old one that I haven't used in years. Thus, when I try to enter my password in, it keeps rejecting it. Setting a new password, nothing accepts it. It's really weird, because I've never had this issue before. In fact, just last week, I did a restore on my iPad, and this didn't appear at all.

Does anyone know what's causing this and how to fix this? I'd really love to start using this phone.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It also has to do with music. If you have ever pirated music, which most everyone has, and that music was originally purchased using someone else's ID, it will ask you for their password. Just cancel putting in their password and re-sync music from your iTunes library. It should fix it.
 
deeddawg said:
What is your theory for why I experienced the issue on a brand new locked phone when I'd never done anything with swiftunlocks? How would they have had anything to do with my phone when I'd never done anything at all with them until a week later?

I'm also curious as to the mechanism you believe is involved.

I also don't see anything in the OP regarding swiftunlocks.
Click to expand...


maybe to unlock a phone you need a database entry on Apple's or AT&T servers and the guy who does it uses the same one. apple picks this up and you get your mystery messages
 
alent1234 said:
maybe to unlock a phone you need a database entry on Apple's or AT&T servers and the guy who does it uses the same one. apple picks this up and you get your mystery messages
Click to expand...

As far as I know, time travel was not introduced with iOS 7.

I experienced the problem A WEEK BEFORE doing the unlock.

Props to Silverbird000 for a logical explanation that doesn't require unknown physics. The extra ID I saw was an old AppleID I haven't used in a long time that I might have purchased a couple songs under.
 
This has happened to me the past couple of years, and it happened to me this year. It has nothing to do with swift unlocks. I think it's more of an icloud issue if anything. I just put my own ID and password and the pop up's stop.
 
Having the same problem. iCloud login has an old apple id and can't change it. Also can't use the password for the old id. As a result I can't use iCloud or reset the phone, because of find my iphone using the same id. Hoping this will be resolved soon.
 
I deleted all chat history in Whatsapp. I've checked that there are data backup in icloud. But how can I restore them from icloud. Can anybody tell me how to do step by step.
 
JPM42 said:
So, I'm turning on my iPhone 5S to set up, and as I enter in my Apple ID and password to restore from iCloud backup, it asks me to choose my backup. So I choose it, but then it asks me to enter the password of my Apple ID for purchases on the iTunes Store. The problem is that, on this screen, the Apple ID (e-mail address) changes to an incredibly old one that I haven't used in years. Thus, when I try to enter my password in, it keeps rejecting it. Setting a new password, nothing accepts it. It's really weird, because I've never had this issue before. In fact, just last week, I did a restore on my iPad, and this didn't appear at all.

Does anyone know what's causing this and how to fix this? I'd really love to start using this phone.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

To ignore the whole theory of unlocking... (Which I think is baseless; apologies).

Has anyone had success fixing this issue? I had never heard of this issue until tonight when I got a brand new 5S, activated it, successfully logged into my Apple ID, selected the iCloud backup I wanted to restore from, and then was confronted with a request for the iCloud password for my account (I have only ever had 1 account) but listing the original email address I had associated with it over 5 years ago.

It will not accept any old or current password.

It is almost certainly an iCloud issue based on other reading, but why it is affecting this new device and not the 3 other iOS 7 devices I've restored from iCloud backup in the last 6 months I don't know.

Most of the other fixes I see online are a related but not identical problem. In the other, seemingly more common version, an existing device will list iCloud as an old email, or iTunes as an old email under Settings, but the device is usable. This issue that I (and the OP) are having is during the set-up after a reset.

Oddly, if I log into my Apple account and change the primary email address to my old email address, reset the device again, and try to restore from iCloud back up, I can successfully log in using my old email for iCloud but when I go to select the backup I am asked for the password associated with my new email address (that I had just changed from): the addresses switch, always listing the email address other than the one currently as my Apple ID primary.

So, I cannot restore from iCloud. Which is a pain. Anyone? Thanks!
 
dnarna said:
To ignore the whole theory of unlocking... (Which I think is baseless; apologies).

Has anyone had success fixing this issue? I had never heard of this issue until tonight when I got a brand new 5S, activated it, successfully logged into my Apple ID, selected the iCloud backup I wanted to restore from, and then was confronted with a request for the iCloud password for my account (I have only ever had 1 account) but listing the original email address I had associated with it over 5 years ago.

It will not accept any old or current password.

It is almost certainly an iCloud issue based on other reading, but why it is affecting this new device and not the 3 other iOS 7 devices I've restored from iCloud backup in the last 6 months I don't know.

Most of the other fixes I see online are a related but not identical problem. In the other, seemingly more common version, an existing device will list iCloud as an old email, or iTunes as an old email under Settings, but the device is usable. This issue that I (and the OP) are having is during the set-up after a reset.

Oddly, if I log into my Apple account and change the primary email address to my old email address, reset the device again, and try to restore from iCloud back up, I can successfully log in using my old email for iCloud but when I go to select the backup I am asked for the password associated with my new email address (that I had just changed from): the addresses switch, always listing the email address other than the one currently as my Apple ID primary.

So, I cannot restore from iCloud. Which is a pain. Anyone? Thanks!
Click to expand...

I meant to reply to this thread back when this happened, but post #2 basically is the solution to this problem. Thanks, Birdmanrsx! This issue drove me mad.

The issue is that, essentially, some apps (or media) that you downloaded from iTunes are still tied to your old e-mail address. Of course, when the e-mail addresses keep switching during set up, it's not going to be the first thing one suspects.

Therefore, I would change your Apple ID back to the primary one that you want. Then when you begin the set up process again, select the iCloud backup that you want, and then when you're prompted again for the password to your old e-mail address, just skip it. That will cause the restore to proceed, but what you'll notice is that there will be some apps greyed out/still loading. Those are the apps that are, for whatever reason, still tied to your old e-mail address. If they're free, simply delete them and re-install them, and they'll be tied to the new address. Once you do that, it should take care of the problem.
 
And thanks to you too. I had thought it wouldn't let me progress past/skip the request for the old account email (that I had changed) and password. Not related to the other iCloud issue at all it would seem; just a (annoying) glitch. After skipping, apparently all of the applications still loaded with no issues. Thanks!
 
Just wanted to pop in this thread to say that this just happened earlier to me on my iPad Air.

The backup restore suddenly asks for an old apple id account I used way back. Like the OP said, the fix is just to skip this step and go with the primary apple id account restore.

The apps or purchases you made with the old account will be grayed out. Just delete them and when all is set and done, delete your old backup and make a new backup. This will delete all the info you had on that backup (new and old apple id stuff) and you'll have a brand new backup with only your new apple id stuff and purchases.

EDIT: That seemed to be the previous way. Now the apps won't even be there on your new iPad. You can check which apps are missing just by going into the iCloud backup storage in settings and checking the backup to see which apps are backed so you can compare those listed with the ones your iPad downloaded from the restore. I had 3 apps that were listed in the iCloud Backup that were not present on the new iPad and those were VLC media player, Google Maps and some kitchen app.
 
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