[Solved] Sign Out is Not Available Due to Restrictions

By utkarsha Updated November 14, 2022

If you have multiple Apple IDs, you have to sign out of the one currently logged in on your Apple device and switch it with the other. However, you might sometimes get an error message “Sign-out is not available due to restrictions,” mostly on an iDevice but at times on a Mac as well.

The error message usually pops up if you have turned on the screen time feature on your device. That’s because screen time is mostly used to restrict/limit the connected accounts from accessing certain system features over a long period of time. Other than this, if you have an ongoing iCloud backup or restoration, you’ll also be restricted from signing out.

But regardless of the causes, there are a few different ways to fix this issue. And in this article, we’re going to look at all those fixes and bypass the sign-out restriction on your system.

Why Can’t I Sign Out of My Apple ID?

So, considering the factors mentioned above, here are all the reasons why you are unable to sign out of your Apple ID:

Apple server issues
Screen Time
Content Restrictions
Ongoing iCloud backup
Outdated system software

How to Fix “Sign Out is Not Available Due to Restrictions”

The first thing you can do when you get the “Sign-out is not available due to restrictions” error prompt is to determine whether it’s a server-related issue or a problem within your device. We recommend you check the Apple server status before you dive into anything technical. And if the problem is not within the server, follow the steps shown below.

Check the Internet Connection

If you have a slow and unreliable internet connection, you’ll not be able to perform any actions over the network. So, if your device is unable to send the particular request over to the Apple server, you cannot sign out of your account. You can check your connection speed and decide accordingly.

If possible, we advise you to use an ethernet cable while surfing the web. This form of connection is significantly faster than your Wi-Fi. Also, restarting your router can refresh your internet connection and fix certain network-related issues as well.

Disable Screen Time

As we mentioned above, screen time is one of the main reasons for this ongoing sign-out issue. That is, enabling screen time is like restricting that account from using the system to its full potential. And whenever you try to sign out of this restricted account, the particular button is greyed out on your device.

Screen time is turned on by default on Apple devices. So, here are the exact steps to disable it on a Mac and iDevices.

On Mac

Open Finder.
From its menu bar, navigate to Apple > System Preferences.
Open the Screen Time settings.
Now, click Options from the left sidebar.
Then, Turn Off screen time.
Enter the screen time password (if you have set it) to continue further.
Restart your computer.

On iPhone

Open Settings.
Select the Screen Time settings.
Then, Turn Off Screen Time.
Enter the screen time password (if you have set it) to continue further.
Restart your device.

However, if you don’t know your screen time password, follow these steps to bypass the authentication process:

Go to the Screen Time Settings on your device.
Choose to Change Passcode.
Then, Forgot Password.
Enter your Apple ID and its password to verify your account.
Then, set a new screen time passcode.
Now you can Turn off Screen Time on your device.

Disable Content Restrictions

Content & Privacy Restrictions on your device can also restrict your account from making use of certain system functionalities. This limits and blocks some settings and contents on your device, and hence disabling it can fix the issue for you.

On Mac

Open Finder.
From its menu bar, navigate to Apple > System Preferences.
Open the Screen Time settings.
Select Content & Privacy from the left sidebar.
Then, Turn off Content & Privacy Restrictions.

On iPhone

Open Settings.
Click on the Screen Time settings.
Select Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Toogle off Content & Privacy Restrictions.

Cancel or Wait for the Ongoing Backup to Complete

You’ll not be able to sign out of your account if an iCloud backup or restoration is going on in the background. Particularly during the restoration phase, the data is continuously being transferred into your system. Any break in this action can result in severe data loss and corruption. So, Apple has prevented users from signing out when there’s an ongoing backup or restoration.

To counter this, you can either wait for the backup/restoration to complete or cancel it entirely. Here are the steps to do so:

On Mac

Open Finder.
From its menu bar, go to Apple > System Preferences.
Click on your Apple ID.
Select iCloud from the sidebar.
Then, uncheck the iCloud Drive option.

On iPhone

Open Settings.
Click on your profile.
Go to iCloud.
Select iCloud Backup.
Toggle off iCloud Backup.

Update the System Firmware

Outdated system software often leads to compatibility and stability issues. And if that’s the case, you have to update your firmware build to fix the problem. Developers release new software updates timely to counter these OS bugs and patch your system with new features and functions.

Updating your Apple device is a pretty easy feat. All you need is an active internet connection and a little patience to wait for the update download/installation process to complete. So, here are the exact steps to update your Mac and iDevices.

On Mac

Open Finder.
From its menu bar, navigate to Apple > About This Mac.
Click on Software Update.
Let your computer scan for new available updates.
If any updates are found, click on Update Now to update the macOS system firmware.

On iPhone

Open Settings.
Go to the General Settings.
Select Software Update.
Let your device scan for new available updates.
If any updates are found, Download and Install them to update your iOS firmware.

Factory Reset Your Device

If nothing else works, you, unfortunately, might have to factory reset your device. Doing this will erase every content and configuration setting from the system. It will erase every bit of data and restores the device as if it’s right out of the box.

However, before resetting your device, we recommend that you back up your data for future use. You can then restore these pieces of information at a later date and your own convenience. The steps to do so are shown below as well.

On Mac

First, back up your Mac using Time Machine.
After the backup process is complete, open Finder.
Then, from its menu bar, click on Apple > System Preferences.
Again, from the preferences menu bar, choose System Preferences > Erase All Content and Settings.
Enter your login password to continue further.
Continue the reset process.
Finally, select Erase All Content and Settings.

On iPhone

Open Settings.
Click on your profile.
Go to iCloud.
Select iCloud Backup.
Toggle on iCloud Backup.
After the backup process is complete, go back to Settings.
Open the General settings.
Choose to Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Then, Erase All Content and Settings.