Authorise or deauthorise your computer for iTunes Store purchases

Find out how to authorise your computer to play your iTunes Store purchases, deauthorise a computer from accessing your iTunes Store purchases and check how many authorised computers you have.


What you need to know about authorising your computer

  • You can authorise up to five computers at a time to play your iTunes Store purchases.
  • Each computer you authorise counts as one authorisation – even if you authorise the same computer multiple times.
  • If you have five authorised computers and want to authorise a new computer, you'll need to deauthorise one of your computers.
  • You can only authorise a computer that you have access to. You can't authorise a computer using another computer or an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch device.
  • You can authorise your Mac in the Apple Music app, Apple TV app or Apple Books app. After you've authorised your Mac in one of these apps, you can access all of your iTunes Store purchases.

How to authorise or deauthorise your Mac

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

See how many computers are authorised

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

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

To deauthorise a computer that you don't have access to, you'll need to deauthorise all of your computers. Then authorise each computer that you have again. You can only deauthorise all computers 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. Forgotten your Apple ID?
  4. At the top of your Account Information page, go to the Apple ID Summary section.
  5. Next to Computer Authorisations, click Deauthorise All.
  6. Authorise each computer that you use again.

How to authorise or deauthorise your PC

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

Find out what to do if iTunes keeps asking you to authorise your PC when you try to play purchased content.

See how many computers are authorised

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

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

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

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

Store availability and features may vary by country or region.

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