Want to know all the devices connected to your iCloud account? It’s child’s play to find out, and it can allay your fears that someone has dipped into your accounts. In these uncertain times, the Mac Mailbox 911 regularly hears from readers worried that something is wrong. You can calm at least one fear by checking this list of iCloud devices. (More recently someone wondered if an unknown party was inserting entries into the playlist.)
No one can access your iCloud information without physical access to your devices, the ability to sign in with your account information at iCloud.com (for limited data types) or iCloud for Windows (even more limited), or by logging into an Apple device with your Apple ID.
If someone signs in using something other than an Apple device:
- If your Apple ID has two-factor authentication enabled (and most accounts do), they need to get the verification code from one of your trusted devices or phone numbers.
- If they successfully sign in to a new location, Apple sends an email to your Apple ID-associated email address with the sign-in information.
- iCloud for Windows provides access to iCloud Keychain, a significant security risk, but you need to go through a few verification and encryption steps to get there – it’s not as simple as having a password.
All Apple devices logged into your iCloud account will still appear in a list maintained by Apple. This includes any Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Watch, as well as any Apple TV, HomePod/HomePod mini, Windows system, or third-party smart TV with Apple TV software. You can access this list in three places:
- Via the Apple ID website: Go to appleid.apple.com, click Login, and log in with your credentials. Click on Devices in the left menu bar.
- On iOS/iPadOS: go to Settings > Account name and swipe down until you see your devices.
- On macOS: go to Apple ID preferences pane (Catalina or later) and scroll down the left navigation list. (In Mojave and before, go to iCloud preferences pane, click Account detailsand click Devices.)
- In iCloud for Windows: Click Account details then click Manage Apple ID.
This list shows many details when you select a device: its serial number, my status, the last iCloud backup (if any), if it is correctly configured as a trusted device (for applicable hardware), the associated Apple Pay cards and version installed. This makes it easy to determine if all devices belong to you and should have access to them.
If you find a device that shouldn’t be there, you can tap or click Remove from account in all the views above, then confirm the action. Deleting it breaks its connection with iCloud, disables its use as a trusted device, and removes it from the list.
If you have access to the device you want to remove, you can instead sign out of iCloud and all other stores and services directly from the device.
This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by an anonymous igamesnews reader.
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