PyiCloudAPIResponseException('Service Temporarily Unavailable (503)

[themcv]

Overview

Unable to authenticate using icloudpd. Receive a 503 error when trying to authenticate.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install icloudpd
2. Run the command "icloudpd --auth-only -u youremail@email.com"
3. Authenticate

version:1.28.1, commit sha:ad1a381, commit timestamp:Sun Jun 8 14:28:20 2025 EDT
Rocky Linux 9.6 kernel 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6.x86_64

Expected Behavior

icloudPD authenticates correctly and the service starts pulling photos

Actual Behavior

After authenticating correctly, the following Traceback is dumped to console

2025-06-27 23:42:20 ERROR Service Temporarily Unavailable (503)
2025-06-27 23:42:20 ERROR Failed to login with srp, falling back to old raw password authentication. Error: ('Failed to initiate srp authentication.', PyiCloudAPIResponseException('Service Temporarily Unavailable (503)'))
2025-06-27 23:42:21 ERROR Service Temporarily Unavailable (503)
2025-06-27 23:42:21 ERROR Failed to login with raw password. Error: ('Invalid email/password combination.', PyiCloudAPIResponseException('Service Temporarily Unavailable (503)'))
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/base.py", line 289, in _authenticate_srp
response = self.session.post("%s/signin/init" % self.AUTH_ENDPOINT, data=json.dumps(data), headers=headers)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/requests/sessions.py", line 637, in post
return self.request("POST", url, data=data, json=json, **kwargs)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/session.py", line 123, in request
self._raise_error(str(response.status_code), response.reason)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/session.py", line 197, in _raise_error
raise api_error
pyicloud_ipd.exceptions.PyiCloudAPIResponseException: Service Temporarily Unavailable (503)

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/base.py", line 197, in authenticate
self._authenticate_srp()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/base.py", line 294, in _authenticate_srp
raise PyiCloudFailedLoginException(msg, error) from error
pyicloud_ipd.exceptions.PyiCloudFailedLoginException: ('Failed to initiate srp authentication.', PyiCloudAPIResponseException('Service Temporarily Unavailable (503)'))

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/base.py", line 355, in _authenticate_raw_password
self.session.post(
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/requests/sessions.py", line 637, in post
return self.request("POST", url, data=data, json=json, **kwargs)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/session.py", line 123, in request
self._raise_error(str(response.status_code), response.reason)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/session.py", line 197, in _raise_error
raise api_error
pyicloud_ipd.exceptions.PyiCloudAPIResponseException: Service Temporarily Unavailable (503)

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/bin/icloudpd", line 8, in
sys.exit(main())
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1161, in call
return self.main(*args, **kwargs)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1082, in main
rv = self.invoke(ctx)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1443, in invoke
return ctx.invoke(self.callback, **ctx.params)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/click/core.py", line 788, in invoke
return _callback(*args, **kwargs)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/icloudpd/base.py", line 794, in main
result = core(
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/icloudpd/base.py", line 1257, in core
icloud = authenticator(
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/icloudpd/authentication.py", line 53, in authenticate
icloud = PyiCloudService(
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/base.py", line 161, in init
self.authenticate()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/base.py", line 204, in authenticate
raise error
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/base.py", line 201, in authenticate
self._authenticate_raw_password()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pyicloud_ipd/base.py", line 363, in _authenticate_raw_password
raise PyiCloudFailedLoginException(msg, error) from error
pyicloud_ipd.exceptions.PyiCloudFailedLoginException: ('Invalid email/password combination.', PyiCloudAPIResponseException('Service Temporarily Unavailable (503)'))

Context

This seems to be triggered by a password change. My service was behaving normally on my old box until I had to reset the password.

[jonasinn]

I had the same issue recently on 1.28.1 running in docker but I now tried again and it worked, so maybe it was some outage?

[timoelliott]

Same issue, same error message, same cause: I updated my Apple password, and now can no longer authenticate :-(

[PalRist]

I have the same issue. Changed my apple password, now i get "Failed to login with srp"

[benjaminpau]

I can't seem to sign in too.

[AndreyNikiforov]

Pls check if 1.29.1 works better - it should not error on 503 and should not retry failed auth, which potentially caused 503.

[jonasinn]

I now get the new error message, but still a 503, any ideas what might cause that?

root@****:~# docker run -it --rm --name icloudpd -v /localdir/photos:/data  -e TZ=Europe/London icloudpd/icloudpd:1.29.1 icloudpd --directory /data --username*** --watch-with-interval 3600
Unable to find image 'icloudpd/icloudpd:1.29.1' locally
1.29.1: Pulling from icloudpd/icloudpd
44cf07d57ee4: Already exists 
24f45db18cea: Pull complete 
5bfef918b884: Pull complete 
1ff1cfad9034: Pull complete 
4f4fb700ef54: Pull complete 
94d2aa290601: Pull complete 
Digest: sha256:c4fd70341e3a2f6c8aa5f1a6b016b2e1856a543a6568346497db14ff25681c49
Status: Downloaded newer image for icloudpd/icloudpd:1.29.1
2025-07-22 15:57:01 DEBUG    Authenticating...
iCloud Password: ****
2025-07-22 15:57:14 INFO     Apple iCloud is temporary refusing to serve icloudpd
2025-07-22 15:57:14 INFO     Waiting for 3600 sec...

[AndreyNikiforov]

I now get the new error message, but still a 503, any ideas what might cause that?

root@****:~# docker run -it --rm --name icloudpd -v /localdir/photos:/data  -e TZ=Europe/London icloudpd/icloudpd:1.29.1 icloudpd --directory /data --username*** --watch-with-interval 3600
Unable to find image 'icloudpd/icloudpd:1.29.1' locally
1.29.1: Pulling from icloudpd/icloudpd
44cf07d57ee4: Already exists 
24f45db18cea: Pull complete 
5bfef918b884: Pull complete 
1ff1cfad9034: Pull complete 
4f4fb700ef54: Pull complete 
94d2aa290601: Pull complete 
Digest: sha256:c4fd70341e3a2f6c8aa5f1a6b016b2e1856a543a6568346497db14ff25681c49
Status: Downloaded newer image for icloudpd/icloudpd:1.29.1
2025-07-22 15:57:01 DEBUG    Authenticating...
iCloud Password: ****
2025-07-22 15:57:14 INFO     Apple iCloud is temporary refusing to serve icloudpd
2025-07-22 15:57:14 INFO     Waiting for 3600 sec...

icloudpd send auth request and gets 503 back. Technically it is a legitimate situation (Apple tells that it is overloaded). What happens if you keep it running and go through a number of waiting intervals? Still 503?

Try 1.29.2: I am exploring another theory for potential 503 - an old client/browser that icloudpd emulates to be the cause for increased volume of 503.

[jonasinn]

Now it worked, so maybe it is in fact just a legit 503, I'll keep an eye on it, thanks for the help.

[AndreyNikiforov]

Now it worked, so maybe it is in fact just a legit 503, I'll keep an eye on it, thanks for the help.

Did it work with new version OR just by letting it run for longer?

[jonasinn]

Now it worked, so maybe it is in fact just a legit 503, I'll keep an eye on it, thanks for the help.

Did it work with new version OR just by letting it run for longer?

I started the container I am running it in again, I ran 1.29.1

[timoelliott]

I installed 1.29.1 -- but I'm just getting that "Apple iCloud is temporary refusing to serve icloudpd" message. I should just keep trying, it sounds like?