Devoper want apple ID to fix something in a software. Says uses screen share an apple app.

While guy totally honest, it's very sensitive password, I know Godaddy has a delegate access feature where you can make someone an admin for day. Anything like that for my apple ID?

Seems just crazy that people have to give out their apple ID to use this software.

And looking in my app folder, also, I dont see screenhare app, never heard of this anyone else? thanks.

Screensharing is built into MacOS, you can turn it on in System Preferences > Sharing.

Does the developer want your Apple ID or you logon ID and password? I would be extremely reluctant to give anyone my Apple ID and Password. If, and this is a HUGE IF, I ever gave someone my Apple ID and password, I would change the password immediately after that person did whatever they were going to do.

PRINT OUT THESE INSTRUCTIONS

If he wants an ID for an admin account on your computer, you can create one for him by...

1. going to System Preferences > Users & Groups
2. click on the padlock at the bottom of the window and enter your account password and press return
3. click on the plus sign (+) at the bottom of the sidebar
4. enter the requested information
5. click Create User
6. Turn off automatic login
7. check the box labled "Allow user to administer this computer.
8. Exit System Preferences

To allow him to remotely access your coumputer

1. Go to System Preferences > Sharing
2. check the box labled Remote Login
3. allow access for "only these users"
4. if the temporary ID you created does not appear click the plus sign at the bottom of the list and select the temporary account name
5. check the box labeled Remote management
6. click the radio button labeled "only these users"
7. if the temporary ID you created does not appear click the plus sign at the bottom of the list and select the temporary account name
8. Click Options
9. Check all the options
10. Click OK
11. exit System Preferences

When the developer has finished

1. login to your account and go back to System Preferences > Users & Groups
2. click on the padlock at the bottom of the window and enter your account password and press return
3. select the account you crated for the user
4. click the minus sign at the bottom of the list of user accounts
5. Select "Delete the Home Folder"
6. click "Delete User"
7. go to System Preferences > Sharing
8. uncheck Remote Login
9. uncheck Remote Management
10. exit System Preferences

Thanks JOe this looks good. It turns out, I may be able to figure out the issue on my own but will save this just in case.

Of course, so indeed, Apple has the godaddy equivalent of delegate access.

Why would a developer ask the your apple ID, seems odd -- maybe it's so fast easy that way..... (or at least offer this idea.. make me an admin user)

There used to be a way to share your screen via the Apple ID and FaceTime, but I thought it had been deprecated. But the developer may know a way I am unaware of. It is one thing to give someone your Apple ID but giving someone you Apple ID and Password is something entirely different and far more dangerous.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'd insist on knowing precisely what ANYONE who asks for my Apple ID intends to use it for.

If software needs to be updated, the update can be made available via a link. Why would a dev have to access a specific machine, and why can't kevs be given instructions?

Joe, my apple ID is my password no? When I log into apple , it's email, and then the ID which is the password.

Your Apple ID is your email address. If I understand correctly what you are calling your Apple ID is not the ID but the password.

And the password may, depending upon circumstances, be either his Admin password or a completely different Apple ID password.

Ok Joe, but then I assume he wanted the password also to share and control the computer. He did not mention anything about make a new admin. But I'll remember that the ID is email thanks.

(unless the id or email) alone can do the share?

It may be the ID alone would be sufficient to establish contact. If this works the way FaceTime screen sharing used to would have be on FaceTime with him and manually grant him access. As I said I thought FaceTime screen sharing had been deprecated in Mojave and later versions of MacOS, but I may be misinformed. 🤷‍♂️

ok Joe, well if that case that only the email is ID and giving that could do a share... that would be fine/ great.. then don't have do the more laborious admin thing. (but I kept notes)

I just assumed ID was the password incorrectly, thanks.

I would't want anyone reading these forums to imply that to be a suggested practice. In fact it would be condemed by anyone with the slightest knowledge and concern about secuity.

(I use 1 Password 7 as my password manager and it red-flags every instance of a re-used password and nags me to change one or both. It also nags me to change passwords periodicallly. When I started out I had four or five passwords ued everywhere. After a couple of year of nagging I now have over a hundred unique passwords. I only actually remember four or five of them and leave the rest to 1Password 7 and Keychain. There are less than fifteen or twenty of those I consider sensitive enough to change on a regular basis.)

OK, context: I was IN NO WAY suggesting identical passwords as a practice. That's why I said "depending upon circumstances."

In response to kev's
I was referring to a discussion we had a while back about the fact that in some instances you use your unique Apple ID password with your Apple ID and in others you use your Admin password. (At the time, you may have figured out which circumstances are which, but I"m not sure of that.)

More: As a matter of fact, it sounds as if kevs's Apple ID password may be the same as his Admin password.

I am addresing the general case for other users who may read this thread.

As to the point of confusion in Catalina (MacOS 10.15) and Big Sur (MacOS 11), that has bitten many of us some times, and some of us many times. It occurs when the OS prompts for an account password to access an Apple resource. The confusion is apparently the result of user expectations the Apple ID password will be required, but we are being asked for the logon password, which in turn, authorizes MacOS to send the Apple ID password. If I recall correctly, when the Apple ID password is not provided by MacOS either the Apple ID is first prompted for or the prompt specifically requests the Apple or Apple ID password -- at least that is my experience in Big Sur. NOTE: It is also possible there has been a subtle change in wording in Big Sur, but I haven't been bitten once since upgrading.

I was recently working with Apple Tech Support and the Apple ID (email address) that is used for iCloud sign in and no password was enough to establish screen sharing in Mojave.

JOe/ Ira, just thinking, if i give th apple ID (email), and the person then access the computer forever/ whenever?

Can I limit this to one day or certain app?

From my experience the access lasts for a "session", however long that may be. But before you even start you have to give them permission to have access. How you give that permission can vary with the type of access. In my case a banner popped up on my computer and you click on either "Accept" or "Decline". Also, there is usually something that indicates you are in shared mode. I saw a new icon in my menu bar. When sharing ended, the icon was gone. Also the type of access can vary. It could be just seeing what is on your screen all the way up to the ability to type and click. Of course if you are really paranoid or extremely cautious, you could imagine that a less honorable person could fake ending a session and still have access, which is why you should trust the company or person with whom you are dealing.

Thanks Ira, this person is someone to trust, Still I'm asking these questions anyway.

So while I took Joes notes; this developer then (being he is a software wizard), would initiate everything. I don't have to do all those steps that Joe pointed out unless I'm initiating it all?

And from there, he would invite me to share and that it's and then it would over on that one session. He wouldn't have any access once done?


Kind of feels like when I get invited by Apple or some other companies they have software, I accept they get in and then they are gone. Except with this they/ or he would have my apple ID..

I know nothing more about the functionality than that it exists, but I'm wondering if this guy needs a p/w to use an SSH tunnel?

If you ever have the slightest question after someone else has been on your computer, you can always changer your logon password and your Apple ID Password. It isn't difficult and it would add an extra barrier to someone coming back to visit when you aren't looking.

THANKS guys, well just got off the computer phone and screenshare went well. Oddly the ID I use to sign into Apple.com, and icloud.com etc, was not the ID.. he saw the ID on his end and it was an icloud email, my default email @icloud which I do not use to sign in to apple.com or icloud.com

that was odd, over my head, but he spotted it and it was ok.

PS is there a place to see you apple ID on the imac?

Can you now explain how that dev got into kevs's Mac?

In all versions of MacOS:

1. Open Music (nee. iTunes)
2. On the Music menu bar select Account
3. The Apple ID will be under Apple ID Summary

In Catalina: go to System Preferences > AppleID > Password & Security
In earlier versions of MacOS

I was hoping you could tell me 😜

Joe, thanks in all three places (system pref twice, Music), is has the email I gave the developer. This is a info@ mywebsite.com type of email. But during the share session he said, oh it says your ID is ...@icloud.com (which is my main icloud email which I rarely use)

Note that to do the invite we used the method of him texting me, and me inviting him to share computer through the details part of a text message. Maybe that is the deal? It was pretty odd for his to say oh it's saying this is your apple ID, which is not the Apple ID.

I don't see "Account" in my Music menu bar. Might it have something to do with my never having purchased any iTunes music?

(Should there be anything following "In earlier versions of macOS?")

I don't know, but check System Preferences > Apple ID and see if your Apple Account is setup there. (The last beta update broke Music in Big Sur, it launches straight to an error message. But I have checked my server that is still running Catalina and it does have Account on the Music menu bar.)


It was at that point, I had a situation and subsequently ended up having to reinstall Mac OS 11. During the process I learned...

1. I am not sure if I screwed up or the Mac OS 11 installer ignored my choice of installation drive...
2. Big Sur is really serious about what it will and won't permit to be backed up or restored...
3. The Big Sur installer has new features including a guided setup of the accessibility features...
4. Somehow I had lost the ability to access my keychain files and could not remember old login passwords...
5. To be grateful that Apple has alternate and very secure ways of resetting passwords (One of which sent a message that went ONLY to my Apple Watch)...
6. To be particularly thankful I had my keychain synched with iCloud and was thereby able to recover all my lost passwords...
7. To be thankful that in the interim I had 1Password to permit me to access everything I needed...
8. To begin keeping a history of prior passwords in 1Password because you never know when an old password may save your backside (the next time)...

I found it! "Account" appears in your Music menu bar only if "iTunes Store" is enabled in Prefs > Restrictions.

It's also in System Prefs as expected.