Apple iCloud issues follow Christmas activation race

If you just received a new iPhone 12, Apple Watch or iPad, you may not have gotten immediate satisfaction – Apple was having some ICloud issues. This is probably the result of a large volume of people trying to set up or update iCloud accounts after offering gifts on the Christmas holiday.

The problem started on Christmas Day, according to the iCloud account and the login entry on Apple’s system status page. More than a day later, late Saturday morning PT, Apple’s system status page indicated that the problem with the storage service remained “in progress”. But around 2 pm PT on Saturday, the iCloud problem was marked as “resolved”. No details were given on the extent of the problems, only that “some users were affected”.

The company also noted problems with the Apple ID login. In a Twitter response later on Christmas Day to an Apple user who wants to set up an iPad and a HomePod Mini, Apple support recognized problems, saying the company was “experiencing high capacity at this point, which is affecting its ability to set up iCloud.” The Apple support tweet said “please try again in a few hours.”

Holiday parties are often a busy time for device activations, as people unwrap phones, tablets, smartwatches, smart speakers and other electronic devices and try to set them up immediately.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

See too: Apple One subscription package: all inclusive and how to sign up now