14 DAY TRIAL // Although the iTunes Store computer authorization isn’t a new affair, a lot of Mac and PC users are still having trouble finding the ON/OFF switch. With the various iTunes versions released over the years, it’s no surprise.
If you want to manage which computers can sync or use apps, audiobooks, books, music, movies, and other kinds of media downloaded from the iTunes Store, you’ll need to know how to authorize your devices.
For instance, if you use both your work computer and your home PC to feed apps to your iPhone, you’ll need to authorize both for use with your Apple ID.
Apple allows you to sync your iTunes purchases on up to five different computers, including Windows PCs.
Sometimes you don’t even have to mess with the settings to authorize a system. Simply sync or play a song or a show you’ve downloaded from iTunes and your computer will instantly be “authorized” for future purchases using your Apple ID.
However, there are various other activities which require a computer authorization, such as enabling Home Sharing, Automatic Downloads, or downloading past purchases.
To authorize your system manually, these are the standard steps:
1. Launch iTunes.
2. In the menubar, click on the Store menu, choose Authorize This Computer. Note that in some (older) versions of iTunes, this option is found in the Advanced menu.
3. At the prompt, enter your Apple ID and password, and click Authorize.
If you somehow decide a computer should no longer remember your Apple ID for iTunes purchases, you can follow pretty much the same steps to deauthorize it. Just choose “Deauthorize This Computer” and enter your Apple credentials, then Deauthorize.
Apple advises customers to always deauthorize their computer before selling it, giving it away, or getting it serviced.
The same goes for when the customer makes a hardware upgrade (RAM, hard drive, etc.).
One computer may end up using multiple authorizations if the user forgets to deauthorize it before upgrading its hardware.