Spinner trapped inside a translucent padlock metaphor
If your Apple ID sign-in on Mac gets stuck on a spinning wheel (or “Signing in…” forever), it’s usually a small blocker: a time mismatch, a network filter, a hung Apple service, or a cached sign-in prompt that won’t finish.

Work through the steps below in order—most people are back in within 10 minutes.

1. Check Apple’s system status (so you don’t chase a server outage)

Before changing anything, make sure the issue isn’t on Apple’s side.

  • Open Apple’s System Status page and check Apple ID and iCloud Account & Sign In.
  • If they’re yellow/red, wait and try again later. Repeated attempts during an outage can sometimes trigger temporary rate limits.

2. Fix date/time and time zone (a common cause of endless “Signing in”)

Apple sign-in relies on secure time-based checks. If your Mac’s clock is off, authentication can hang without an obvious error.

  • Go to System Settings > General > Date & Time.
  • Turn on Set time and date automatically.
  • Also turn on Set time zone automatically and confirm your city/region looks right.
  • Restart your Mac and try signing in again.

3. Remove VPN / filters and try a clean network path

Router and shield showing a blocked network connection
A VPN, DNS filter, ad blocker, or “security” proxy can interfere with Apple ID endpoints—especially on public or work networks.

  • Disconnect any VPN (System Settings > VPN) and try again.
  • If you use a custom DNS profile or security tool, temporarily disable it and test.
  • Switch networks if possible (Wi‑Fi to personal hotspot) to rule out router/firewall blocks.
  • If you’re on a managed/work Mac, your network may block Apple ID sign-in—try on a personal network or ask IT.

A quick test: if sign-in works on your phone hotspot but not on Wi‑Fi, the Wi‑Fi path is the problem.

4. Quit sign-in related background processes (force the prompt to refresh)

Sometimes the UI spinner is just a stuck background process waiting on a prompt you can’t see.

  • Open Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities).
  • Search and force quit these if they appear stuck (they will restart automatically):
  • accountsd, com.apple.appleaccount, identityservicesd, cloudd.
  • Then open System Settings > Apple Account and try signing in again.

If you prefer a simpler reset, a full restart often clears the same hang.

5. Sign out of iCloud (if you’re partially signed in), then sign back in

Cloud and key with refresh arrow for re-login
If your Mac is in a half-signed-in state (some services toggled but account won’t fully authenticate), signing out cleanly can remove the loop.

  • Go to System Settings > Apple Account.
  • Scroll down and choose Sign Out.
  • When asked, keep a copy of important data on the Mac if you’re unsure (Contacts/Calendars/etc.).
  • Restart, then sign in again.

Note: If you’re using FileVault and iCloud Drive, signing out may trigger extra prompts. Take your time and don’t interrupt the process.

6. Update macOS and reset keychain-related glitches (when the spinner returns every time)

If the spinner persists across restarts and networks, you may be dealing with a stale credential/keychain item or a macOS bug already fixed by an update.

  • Update macOS: System Settings > General > Software Update.
  • If you recently changed your Apple ID password, sign in again everywhere (iPhone/iPad) to ensure 2FA prompts are completing.
  • Open Keychain Access and confirm you can unlock your login keychain with your current Mac password (a keychain unlock problem can break sign-in flows).
  • If you see repeated “account” prompts that never stick, try creating a new macOS user and testing Apple ID sign-in there (this helps confirm whether it’s system-wide or just your user profile).

If a new macOS user can sign in, your original user account likely has corrupted cached credentials—at that point, migration or focused keychain cleanup is the safer next step.

Final thoughts

Most endless Apple ID sign-in spinners on Mac come down to time settings, network filtering, or a stuck background process. Start simple, change one thing at a time, and retest.

If none of these work, note exactly where it hangs (Apple Account settings, App Store, iCloud toggle) and try again after confirming Apple’s System Status—those details matter for the next troubleshooting step.