What authorizing your computer on iTunes means

Authorizing your computer on iTunes means linking your Apple ID to that specific machine so you can play music, movies, TV shows, and audiobooks you've bought through the iTunes Store. Without authorization, you can read the content, but you won't be able to play it on that computer. Apple limits you to authorize up to five computers at once under a single Apple ID — this is their way of preventing one purchase from being shared across dozens of machines.

The authorization process takes about two minutes and requires your Apple ID and password. Once authorized, anyone using that computer can play your purchased content, but only you can remove the authorization later.

Key Takeaways

  • You can authorize up to five computers per Apple ID, and you can deauthorize them anytime from the same machine or from your Apple account online.
  • Authorization happens automatically the first time you try to play purchased content, but you can also authorize manually through the Account menu in iTunes.
  • If you've hit your five-computer limit, you must deauthorize an old computer before authorizing a new one.
  • Deauthorizing all computers at once is only possible through your Apple ID account online, not through iTunes itself.

How to authorize a computer the first time

Open iTunes on the computer you want to authorize. Go to the Account menu at the top of the window (on Mac) or in the menu bar (on Windows). Click Authorization, then select Authorize This Computer. A dialog box will appear asking for your Apple ID and password. Enter both and click Authorize.

iTunes will confirm that your computer is now authorized and show you how many computers you have authorized in total. You're done — you can now play any content you've bought through the iTunes Store on this machine. If you don't see the Account menu, make sure you're in the main iTunes window, not a store page or playlist.

What to do if you've already hit your five-computer limit

If you try to authorize a sixth computer, iTunes will tell you that you've reached your limit. You must deauthorize at least one computer before you can authorize the new one. The easiest way is to deauthorize the computer you no longer use.

If you can still access that old computer, open iTunes, go to Account > Authorization > Deauthorize This Computer, enter your Apple ID and password, and confirm. If you no longer have access to the old computer (it's broken, sold, or lost), you can deauthorize all five computers at once through your Apple account online. Go to appleid.apple.com, sign in, scroll to Devices, find the computer you want to remove, and click Remove from Account. After that, you can authorize your new computer.

Deauthorizing a computer you still have access to

Open iTunes on the computer you want to deauthorize. Go to Account > Authorization > Deauthorize This Computer. Enter your Apple ID and password when prompted and click Deauthorize. iTunes will confirm the computer is no longer authorized. You can now authorize a different computer in its place if you need to.

Deauthorizing does not delete your purchased content from the computer — it just means you won't be able to play it anymore. If you later want to use that computer again, you can re-authorize it with the same Apple ID.

Deauthorizing a computer you no longer have

If the computer is broken, lost, or sold, you can't deauthorize it through iTunes. Instead, go to appleid.apple.com in a web browser and sign in with your Apple ID. Click Devices in the left sidebar. Find the computer you want to remove from your account and click the three dots next to it, then select Remove from Account.

You can deauthorize all five computers at once this way if you need to start fresh. After you remove a computer from your account online, you'll be able to authorize a new one. Note that you can only deauthorize all computers once per year through the website, so use this option carefully.

Troubleshooting authorization problems

If iTunes says your password is wrong, make sure you're using your actual Apple ID (usually an email address) and the correct password. If you've forgotten your password, go to iforgot.apple.com to reset it before trying to authorize again.

If you get a message that your account can't be authorized, check that your internet connection is working and that you're not behind a firewall that blocks Apple's servers. Try signing out of your Apple ID in iTunes (go to Account > Sign Out) and then signing back in. If the problem persists, restart iTunes and try again. If you're still stuck, contact Apple Support — they can manually remove a computer from your account if there's a technical issue.

Why authorization matters for shared computers

If multiple people use the same computer, only the person whose Apple ID authorized it can play that person's purchased content. For example, if you authorize the family computer with your Apple ID, your spouse won't be able to play music they bought under their own Apple ID unless they also authorize that computer with their own account. Each person can authorize the same computer separately.

This setup protects your purchases — it means someone can't walk up to your computer and play content you've bought without your permission. It also means if you sell or give away a computer, you should deauthorize it first so the new owner can't access your content.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I authorize the same computer twice with different Apple IDs?

Yes. Each Apple ID can authorize up to five computers, and each computer can be authorized by multiple Apple IDs. If you and a family member both want to play your own purchased content on the same computer, you each authorize it with your own Apple ID. Both of you will then be able to play your respective purchases on that machine.

What happens if I authorize a computer and then never use iTunes on it again?

Nothing bad happens. The authorization stays active until you deauthorize it or until you hit your five-computer limit and need to free up a slot. There's no expiration date on authorization, so you can leave it in place indefinitely if you think you might use iTunes on that computer again later.

Do I need to authorize my computer if I only stream music through Apple Music?

No. Authorization is only required for content you've purchased and downloaded. If you only use Apple Music to stream, or if you only buy music through other services, you don't need to authorize. Authorization applies specifically to iTunes Store purchases.

Can someone else deauthorize my computer if they have the password?

Yes, if they have your Apple ID and password, they can deauthorize any computer from iTunes or from your Apple account online. This is why it's important to keep your Apple ID password find and to deauthorize computers you no longer use or that you've given to someone else.

What if I deauthorize all my computers by mistake?

You can re-authorize them. Just open iTunes on each computer, go to Account > Authorization > Authorize This Computer, and sign in with your Apple ID again. You're limited to deauthorizing all five computers at once only once per year, so if you've already used that option this year, you'll need to deauthorize computers individually through iTunes on each machine.