Q: "I recently created an Apple ID for a child (under 13) to be used on an old iPad mini. I signed into my iPad Pro with the child's Apple ID and now I cannot sign out. "Sign out is not available due to restrictions" and "Sign Out" is not selectable. I need MY Apple ID back on the iPad Pro. How do I Sign out a child's Apple ID from this iPad Pro so I can use my own Apple ID again?" – from Apple Community
For some reason you want to sign in with other Apple accounts, or need to sign out of your account because you need to sell your device, however, the Sign Out option is un-selectable and there is a line under the gray option saying "Apple ID sign out is not available due to restrictions". You may wonder why this occurs and how could you log out of the Apple account. I understand your frustration and annoyance. Thus, this article is provided to help you deal with this problem and let the gray option turns blue again.
- Part 1. Why Apple ID Is Restricted
- Part 2. Pre-check Works on Apple ID
- Part 3. Fixes to Solve Apple ID Sign Out Issue
Part 1. Why Is Sign Out Not Available on Apple ID
The reason why Apple ID sign out is not available just as the sentence states – restrictions. And this is also what we need to figure out: what do the restrictions mean? Basically, it refers to two aspects. No.1 The ongoing progress of restoring the iCloud backup. You will be restricted to sign out of your iCloud account if the restoration is not complete. No.2 The confinement from Screen Time. This is the main cause that led to your Apple ID sign out unavailable problem.
Part 2. Pre-check Works on Apple ID
Before you get started to fix your sign out button, there are some check works you need to do in order to reduce the misjudgment.
- Check the Apple System Status. On this page, you could check if the green dot exits in the font of Apple ID. If so, continue your inspection.
- Check Internet Connection. You are required to connect to a stable network so that the sign out operation runs smoothly. Go to Settings to troubleshoot Wi-Fi, cellular and VPN respectively.
- Check iCloud backup. As just mentioned, you need to check if the restoring procedure completes by entering Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → Backup → Stop Restoring iPhone (iPad).
Part 3. Fixes to Apple ID Sign Out Is Not Available Due to Restrictions
3.1 Get Rid of Screen Time Restrictions
If you have set up Screen Time to limit the usage of your iPhone or iPad, you need to turn off the Screen Time passcode when you come across this sentence along with the grey Sign Out option. The operating steps for different iOS versions to disable restrictions are listed below.
- iOS 12 and later: Settings → Screen Time → Turn Off Screen Time → Enter Screen Time Passcode
- iOS 11 and earlier: Settings → General → Restrictions → Accounts → Allow Changes
3.2 Force Restart Devices
Sign out is unavailable due to restrictions on Apple ID? There is also a way to resolve this problem by refreshing your device, and it won't cause any data loss. That is force restarting iPhone or iPad. Here is how to do it.
- iPhone 8 and later models/iPad without Home button: press and release the Volume Up button, press and release the Volume Down button, and hold the Side button constantly and release it once you see the Apple logo
- iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: hold Volume Down and Home at the same time for seconds until the Apple logo shows on the screen
- iPhone 6s and former models/iPad with Home button: simultaneously hold the Home button and the Side button, and release them when the Apple logo appears
3.3 Factory Reset Devices
Factory resetting your iPhone or iPad is a proven method to get you out of unavailable sign-out Apple ID due to restrictions. You could restore your data from the iCloud backup once the progress ends. Navigate to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone (iPad) → Erase All Content and Settings → Continue. Then, you are required to enter your screen passcode and Screen Time passcode to confirm your action. When you restore the backup, you will notice that the Apple ID is still the previous one, but this time the Sign Out option turns back to blue.
3.4 Remove Screen Time without Passcode
Considering some of you could forget the Screen Time passcode, as a consequence, the restrictions cannot be removed with passcode on Settings. Don't fret, Joyoshare iPasscode Unlocker is able to give a hand to you. With only a few clicks, you could turn off Screen Time on either your iPhone or iPad. If you don't need to remove the Screen Time, or the alert message remains because the restrictions come from somewhere else, you could also use Joyoshare iPasscode Unlocker to remove the Apple ID directly. More critically, it will lose your data. Whichever you need to unlock depends on your situation.
- Fix unavailable sign out Apple ID due to restrictions
- Solve Apple ID cannot sign out problem with no data losing
- Unlock screen lock and MDM
- High compatibility and easy-to-use interface
Step 1 Select Unlock Screen Time Passcode
Connect your iPhone or iPad to computer with launched Joyoshare iPasscode Unlocker, and select Unlock Screen Time Passcode on the main interface.
Step 2 Examine Find My
When the Find My feature on your device is disabled, click on the Start button to enter the next screen. If it is enabled, follow the guide on the screen to turn it off, and do the same operation to remove your Screen Time passcode.
Step 3 Choose Don't Transfer Apps & Data
Once your Screen Time is successfully removed, you could set up your device. Remember to choose Don't transfer Apps & Data, which will not make the restrictions come back. And your Apple ID sign out option is no longer restricted.
The Bottom Line
After reading the whole passage, you will have a clear concept of Apple ID sign out is not available due to restrictions. And the restrictions are explained in this article. When you get to know what it is, you could follow this article to do some checking works. Afterwards, four fixes are provided for you to try orderly. With the Screen Time passcode, just turn off this feature in Settings. While you cannot get the passcode of your Screen Time, I recommend Joyoshare iPasscode Unlocker for assistance. No matter whether bypassing Screen Time restrictions or directly removing Apple ID, this program is a wonderful helper.
