Apple has provided steps to accept the new iCloud terms and conditions and update Apple ID settings without using a secondary device.
- What’s happening? Apple has provided steps to accept the iCloud terms and conditions on an Apple TV without another Apple device.
- Why care? People who own an Apple TV can now accept the new iCloud terms and conditions without extra hardware from Apple.
- What to do? Log in to the iCloud.com website using a computer to accept the new iCloud terms and update your account settings.
How to accept Apple TV iCloud prompts on the web
In January 2023, Google employee Chris Koch posted a tweet saying he couldn’t accept the new iCloud terms and conditions on his Apple TV because he doesn’t own a secondary Apple device. This change is part of the tvOS 16 update for the Apple TV. Instead of displaying the new terms on your telly, Apple now requires people to use an iPhone or iPad with iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 to accept the prompt.
I own an Apple TV.
I own not a single other Apple device. Not one.
Every time I start the Apple TV I get this prompt now. @Apple what do you expect me to do about this? pic.twitter.com/CsNaTNNIHp
— chris @c@pub.waffle.tech (@hugelgupf) January 16, 2023
Apple’s support department initially told Koch that signing out of his iCloud account (tvOS Settings → Users and Accounts → [Name] → iCloud) and then signing back in would solve the problem, which it did. The engineer clarified that signing in to iCloud.com from a web browser didn’t produce a prompt to approve the updated iCloud terms.
At the very least, Apple could have put a QR code on the screen to access the terms and conditions through any phone.
MacRumors has now spotted a support document on the Apple website, titled “If you can’t accept iCloud Terms and Conditions for Apple TV,” that provides the necessary steps for Apple TV owners who don’t have a secondary Apple device like an iPhone or iPad.
- Using a computer, visit iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID account.
- Follow any prompts to review and update your account settings.
- Review and agree to the iCloud terms and conditions.
Curiously, Apple has pulled the document from its website, so it’s unclear what’s going on. We’ll update this article if new information becomes available.
Other workarounds to this problem exist. For example, you could download the Apple Music app on Android and accept the changed Apple TV terms through it. You can also use iTunes Store on Windows to approve any such prompts.