Authorize or deauthorize your computer for iTunes Store purchases

Learn how to authorize your computer to play your iTunes Store purchases, deauthorize a computer from accessing your iTunes Store purchases, and check how many authorized computers you have.

What you need to know about authorizing your computer

  • You can authorize up to five computers at a time to play your iTunes Store purchases.
  • Each computer that you authorize counts as one authorization — even if you authorize the same computer multiple times.
  • If you have five authorized computers and want to authorize a new computer, you have to deauthorize one of your computers.
  • You can only authorize a computer that you have access to. You can't authorize a computer using another computer or an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
  • You can authorize your Mac in the Apple Music app, Apple TV app, or Apple Books app. Once you authorize your Mac in one of these apps, you can access all of your iTunes Store purchases.

How to authorize or deauthorize your Mac

  1. Open the Apple Music app or Apple TV app. In the menu bar, choose Account and make sure that you're signed in with your Apple ID.
  2. Choose Account > Authorizations, then choose Authorize This Computer or Deauthorize This Computer.
    Apple Music app showing the Account menu, Authorizations, and Authorize This Computer.
  3. Sign in with your Apple ID and password. Forgot your Apple ID?
  4. Click Authorize or Deauthorize.

See how many computers are authorized

  1. Open the Apple Music app or Apple TV app.
  2. Choose Account > Account Settings.
  3. Sign in with your Apple ID and password. Forgot your Apple ID?
  4. At the top of your Account Information page, look next to Computer Authorizations to see how many computers are authorized.
    The Apple Music app showing the Account Information page

If you need to deauthorize a computer that you don't have access to

To deauthorize a computer that you don't have access to, you have to deauthorize all of your computers. Then authorize each computer that you have again. You can deauthorize all computers only once a year.

  1. Open the Apple Music app or Apple TV app.
  2. Choose Account > Account Settings.
  3. Sign in with your Apple ID and password. Forgot your Apple ID?
  4. At the top of your Account Information page, go to the Apple ID Summary section.
  5. Next to Computer Authorizations, click Deauthorize All.
  6. Authorize each computer that you use again.

How to authorize or deauthorize your PC

  1. Open iTunes. At the top of the iTunes window, choose Account and make sure that you're signed in with your Apple ID.
  2. Choose Account > Authorizations, then choose Authorize This Computer or Deauthorize This Computer.
    iTunes showing the Account menu, Authorizations, and Authorize This Computer.
  3. Sign in with your Apple ID and password. Forgot your Apple ID?
  4. Click Authorize or Deauthorize.

Learn what to do if iTunes keeps asking you to authorize your PC when you try to play purchased content.

See how many computers are authorized

  1. Open iTunes.
  2. Choose Account > View My Account.
  3. Sign in with your Apple ID and password. Forgot your Apple ID?
  4. At the top of your Account Information page, look next to Computer Authorizations to see how many computers are authorized.
    iTunes showing the Account Information page

If you need to deauthorize a computer that you don't have access to

To deauthorize a computer that you don't have access to, you have to deauthorize all of your computers. Then authorize each computer that you have again. You can deauthorize all computers only once a year.

  1. Open iTunes.
  2. Choose Account > View My Account.
  3. Sign in with your Apple ID and password. Forgot your Apple ID?
  4. At the top of your Account Information page, go to the Apple ID Summary section.
  5. Next to Computer Authorizations, click Deauthorize All.
  6. Authorize each computer that you use again.

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