What authorizing your computer on iTunes actually does

Authorizing your computer on iTunes means telling Apple that this specific device is allowed to play music, movies, and other content you've bought from the iTunes Store. When you buy something from iTunes, Apple attaches it to your Apple ID. Authorization is the step that lets your computer actually open and play those purchases — without it, you get an error message instead of your music.

Think of it like a library card. The library (Apple) knows you own a book (your purchase). Your library card (authorization) proves you're the person who checked it out, so you can take it home and read it. Without the card, you can't take the book anywhere.

Apple limits you to authorizing five computers at the same time under one Apple ID. This is to prevent one person from sharing their iTunes purchases with dozens of devices. If you authorize a sixth computer, you have to deauthorize one of the others first.

Key Takeaways

  • Authorization connects your Apple ID to your computer so you can play iTunes purchases on that device.
  • You can authorize up to five computers under a single Apple ID at the same time.
  • The authorization process takes less than a minute and requires your Apple ID password.
  • If you sell or give away a computer, deauthorizing it frees up one of your five slots and prevents the new owner from accessing your purchases.

How to authorize a computer on iTunes

Open iTunes on the computer you want to authorize. In the menu bar at the top of the screen, click Account (on a Mac) or Edit (on Windows), then select Authorizations, then click Authorize This Computer.

A window will pop up asking for your Apple ID and password. Type both in and click Authorize. That's it — your computer is now authorized. You should see a message saying something like "This computer has been authorized" along with the date.

If you're using a newer version of iTunes or the Apple Music app on Windows, the path might be slightly different — look for Account in the menu, then Preferences, then the Devices tab. The steps are the same, just the menu location changes.

Why you might see an authorization error

If you try to play an iTunes purchase and get an error saying the computer isn't authorized, it usually means one of three things: the computer was never authorized, the authorization expired, or you're signed into iTunes with a different Apple ID than the one that bought the content.

Authorization doesn't actually expire on its own, but it can break if you reinstall your operating system, transfer your hard drive to a new computer, or if Apple's servers lose track of the authorization for some reason. The fix is always the same: go back to Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer and enter your Apple ID password again.

If you're signed into iTunes with a different Apple ID than the one that made the purchase, you'll need to sign out and sign back in with the correct ID before authorizing. You can only play purchases that match the Apple ID you're currently logged in with.

How to deauthorize a computer

Go to Account > Authorizations and click Deauthorize This Computer. Enter your Apple ID password when prompted. The computer is now deauthorized and can no longer play your iTunes purchases.

You should deauthorize a computer before you sell it, give it away, or recycle it. This frees up one of your five authorization slots and makes sure the new owner can't access your music and movies. If you forget to deauthorize before the computer leaves your hands, you can deauthorize it remotely from any other authorized computer or from the Apple ID website.

If you've lost access to a computer entirely — it was stolen, it broke, or you straightforward can't turn it on anymore — you can deauthorize all five of your computers at once through your Apple ID account settings on Apple's website. This resets your count to zero, and you can then reauthorize the computers you actually still own.

When you might need to reauthorize

Sometimes a computer stays authorized but iTunes stops recognizing it. This can happen after a major operating system update, after you reinstall iTunes, or if your computer's system clock gets way out of sync with the real date and time. In these cases, straightforward authorizing the computer again usually fixes it.

If you change your Apple ID password, your authorizations stay in place — you don't have to reauthorize anything. The password change doesn't break the connection between your computer and your account.

Authorization and family sharing

If you use Family Sharing, the person who set up the family group can authorize computers for other family members. When a family member tries to play a purchase on a computer, iTunes will ask them to sign in with their own Apple ID. The computer itself is authorized to the family organizer's account, but each person can play their own purchases when they sign in.

This means you can have one authorized computer in your house that multiple family members use, and each person can access their own iTunes library. The authorization is tied to the organizer's Apple ID, not to each individual family member.

What happens if you hit your five-computer limit

If you try to authorize a sixth computer, iTunes will tell you that you've reached your limit and ask you to deauthorize one of your other computers first. You can't authorize the new computer until you do.

The limit exists to prevent sharing — Apple's way of making sure one person isn't distributing their purchases to dozens of devices. If you genuinely own six computers and need to authorize all of them, you'll have to deauthorize the oldest one or the one you use least often.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to authorize every device I own?

No. You only need to authorize devices where you want to play iTunes purchases. If you have an iPhone or iPad, those don't need authorization — they work automatically when you sign in with your Apple ID. Authorization is only for computers running iTunes or the Apple Music app on Windows.

Can someone else use my authorized computer to play my music?

Yes, anyone with access to your computer can play your iTunes purchases while logged in to that computer. This is why you should deauthorize before giving a computer to someone else. If you want to share music with family members, use Family Sharing instead — it's designed for that purpose.

What if I forgot which computers I've authorized?

You can see a list of all your authorized computers by going to Account > View My Account in iTunes, then scrolling down to the Devices section. It will show you the name and authorization date of each computer. From there you can also deauthorize any computer remotely.

Does authorization work the same way on Mac and Windows?

Yes. The process is identical — you go to Account, find Authorizations, and click Authorize This Computer. The only difference is that on a Mac you look under Account in the menu bar, while on Windows you look under Edit. The password prompt and authorization message are the same on both.

If I authorize a computer, can I play my iTunes purchases on other accounts on that same computer?

No. Authorization is tied to your Apple ID, not to the computer itself. If another person on the same computer wants to play their own iTunes purchases, they need to sign into iTunes with their own Apple ID. They can't access your purchases even though the computer is authorized to your account.