How to Fix iCloud Authorization Errors in CloudsLinker

Step-by-step guide to avoid ACCESS_DENIED errors when adding iCloud to CloudsLinker, including required iOS settings and local authorization using iCloud Photos Downloader.

Introduction

Some iCloud accounts are more sensitive to IP and security settings. In these cases, trying to authorize iCloud directly inside CloudsLinker may fail with ACCESS_DENIED or never deliver a verification code. This guide explains which iPhone/iPad settings you must enable, and how to complete iCloud authorization locally on your computer using the open-source iCloud Photos Downloader tool. After that, our support team can manually enable iCloud for your CloudsLinker account.

Some iCloud accounts are highly sensitive to IP and security settings. Even if Apple sends verification codes normally to your iPhone when you sign in on a browser or another device, the same account may fail when you try to authorize iCloud inside CloudsLinker. This page explains how to avoid common ACCESS_DENIED errors and what to do if iCloud still cannot be added.

Why iCloud Authorization May Fail

When you add iCloud to CloudsLinker, the login request is sent from our servers, not directly from your local device. For some Apple IDs, Apple’s security system treats this as an unusual sign-in attempt based on:

Server IP address and region
Account security settings (especially Advanced Data Protection)
Restrictions on accessing iCloud data from the web

If the account is too strict, Apple may either block the request silently or return an ACCESS_DENIED style error, even though your Apple ID works fine in browsers and other apps.

Important: Before trying advanced workarounds, make sure your iCloud settings on iPhone or iPad are configured as described below.

Step 1 – Check Required iCloud Settings on iPhone / iPad

To make iCloud access work correctly through web APIs and tools such as iCloud Photos Downloader (which CloudsLinker relies on), your iCloud account must allow web access and must not use Advanced Data Protection.

Required Settings

Enable “Access iCloud Data on the Web”
On your iPhone / iPad, go to:
Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Access iCloud Data on the Web
Make sure this option is turned ON.
Disable “Advanced Data Protection”
On your iPhone / iPad, go to:
Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Advanced Data Protection
Make sure this option is turned OFF.

If these settings are not configured as above, Apple’s servers may reject access from tools that connect via web APIs and return errors like ACCESS_DENIED, even when your password and verification code are correct.

Step 2 – If iCloud Still Cannot Be Added

Even with the correct settings, some Apple IDs remain very sensitive to sign-in attempts from data-center IPs. In these cases, the most reliable solution is to complete iCloud authorization locally on your own computer, then send us the authorization data so we can bind it to your CloudsLinker account.

This method uses an open-source tool on your computer. CloudsLinker will not see your Apple ID password; we only receive the generated authorization tokens.

2.1 Download iCloud Photos Downloader

Download the open-source tool iCloud Photos Downloader from GitHub:

https://github.com/icloud-photos-downloader/icloud_photos_downloader

2.2 Run Local Authorization Command

After installing the tool, open a terminal or command prompt on your computer and run:

icloudpd --username [email protected] --password your_password --auth-only

Replace [email protected] and your_password with your own Apple ID. This command will only complete the authorization – it will not download any photos or files.

If authorization is successful, iCloud Photos Downloader will create an access token file on your computer. This token proves that your Apple ID has already approved access from that environment.

Step 3 – Send Authorization Data to CloudsLinker Support

Once local authorization succeeds, the tool stores token files in the ~/.pyicloud folder on your computer.

What You Need to Send

Locate the folder:
~/.pyicloud
Compress (zip) the entire .pyicloud folder.
Send an email to:
[email protected]
and include:
- Your CloudsLinker account email
- The attached .pyicloud token folder (zipped)

After we receive your email, our support team will manually bind the iCloud token to your CloudsLinker account. Once this is done, iCloud will show as connected in your CloudsLinker dashboard, and you can start creating transfer tasks as usual.

Security Notes and Next Steps

CloudsLinker does not store your Apple ID password; we only use the generated tokens to access iCloud on your behalf.
You can revoke access at any time by changing your Apple ID password or adjusting iCloud security settings.
We are also working on a desktop authorization flow so that, in the future, you can complete this process inside the CloudsLinker desktop app without using command-line tools.

Go Back to CloudsLinker

Conclusion

If you adjust your iCloud settings to allow web access and disable Advanced Data Protection, most authorization attempts in CloudsLinker will work normally. For accounts that remain blocked due to Apple’s IP or security checks, completing the authorization locally with iCloud Photos Downloader and sending us the generated token files is the most reliable workaround. Once we bind these tokens to your CloudsLinker account, you can safely run iCloud transfers in the cloud—without keeping your own computer online.

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