Of the many features exclusive to the Apple ecosystem, iCloud cloud storage service is by and far one of the most essential. It carries over between all your Apple devices including iPhones or iPads and is key to keeping things running smoothly for the user.
Without iCloud, nothing would sync between macOS, iOS and iPadOS devices, removing one of the best parts of using Apple devices in the first place. Surprisingly, this happens more than you think it would on Apple’s devices.
Many iPhone and iPad users report that their Apple ID and iCloud Backup options in the settings menu as “greyed out,” being unclickable and practically unusable. As you can expect, being locked out of an option like this is frustrating.
For people who regularly use iCloud linked with their AppleID on an iOS device, it can completely get in the way of productivity. So, if you’re an Apple device user, what can you do when this issue comes up?
How to Troubleshoot the Issue & Fix Apple ID or iCloud Backup Greyed Out Error on iPhone or iPad Device Settings
Apple ID and iCloud tend to stop working due to changes outside of the user’s manual control. The system makes these changes to keep things running smoothly, without factoring in how this can ruin the user experience. Today, we’ll break down these issues, see what you can do to solve them, and guide you through potential fixes.
Check Apple’s iCloud And AppleID Server Status
- Most of the time, the reason for iCloud and AppleID being down is Apple’s servers.
- To check, you’ll want to visit Apple’s system support page.
- Find the specific feature you’re looking for and check whether its servers are working.
- If they aren’t working, you’ll need to wait until they’re functional again.
Update iOS On Your Apple Device
- It’s not uncommon for AppleID and iCloud to become buggy on older versions of iOS.
- To update iOS, go to the Settings menu.
- Select the General option.
- Click on Software Update.
- If there’s an iOS update available, download and install it.
- Check to see if iCloud and AppleID are back in working condition.
Toggle Airplane Mode
- Toggling Airplane Mode can sometimes work when it comes to issues like this.
- Go to your dropdown menu and click on Airplane Mode.
- Leave your Apple Device in Airplane Mode for 10 seconds.
- Now, turn Airplane Mode off and wait for cellular functions to work again.
- Check to see if iCloud and AppleID are back in working condition.
Check Your Device’s Restrictions
- Sometimes your Apple device can have restrictions that block iCloud and AppleID.
- Head to the Settings menu.
- Click on the Screen Time option.
- Click on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Turn Restrictions off.
- Go back to the main Settings menu.
- Click on the General option.
- Click on Restrictions.
- Click on Accounts.
- Disable Restrictions.
- Check to see if iCloud and AppleID are back in working condition.
Reset Your Apple Device’s Network Settings
- As a last resort, we can try resetting your Apple device’s network settings.
- Go to the Settings menu.
- Click on the General option.
- Click on Reset.
- Select Reset Network Settings.
- Connect to your Wi-Fi network.
- Check to see if iCloud and AppleID are back in working condition.
If you’ve followed all of these guides accordingly, then you should find AppleID and iCloud back in working condition in no time. We know how frustrating it can be to have productivity tools out of grasp, so we hope we’ve managed to help you with the issue. For more fixes and tips like this, stay tuned!
