NOT Fixed: accountsd using 400% CPU on MacOS Catalina 10.15.7 (19H2)

README.md

accountsd using 400% CPU on MacOS Catalina 10.15.7 (19H2)

TL;DR: Still open - see below.

This morning I woke up to some not-so-nice surprise - my 2018 MPB 13" would be kind of totally unusable. The accountsd process was stable at 400%, battery was going like ice-cream in the Sahara, and opening up LibreOffice was like a major achievement.

I did check the logs (that were growing at like 500 lines per second) and I saw a lot of lines at FAULT level:

fault	07:54:04.271342+0200	accountsd	Unentitled access by client 'CallHistoryPlugi' (selector: accountsWithAccountType:handler:)
fault	07:54:05.685220+0200	accountsd	Unentitled access by client 'com.apple.siri.e' (selector: accountsWithAccountType:handler:)
fault	07:54:32.545747+0200	accountsd	Unentitled access by client 'CallHistoryPlugi' (selector: accountsWithAccountType:handler:)
 fault	07:54:50.155679+0200	accountsd	Unentitled access by client 'com.apple.siri.e' (selector: accountsWithAccountType:handler:)
fault	07:54:52.977307+0200	accountsd	Unentitled access by client 'CallHistoryPlugi' (selector: accountsWithAccountType:handler:)
fault	07:55:23.636667+0200	accountsd	Unentitled access by client 'com.apple.siri.e' (selector: accountsWithAccountType:handler:)
fault	07:55:23.636893+0200	accountsd	Unentitled access by client 'CallHistoryPlugi' (selector: accountsWithAccountType:handler:)
fault	07:55:26.732481+0200	accountsd	Unentitled access by client 'AddressBookManag' (selector: accountsWithAccountType:handler:)

To make a long story short, I looked at the full log where there was:

default	08:50:35.352204+0200	accountsd	[com.apple.calendar.accounts.notification] [Account ***MY@APPLEID**** (....) should have child account]
default	08:50:35.352243+0200	accountsd	[com.apple.calendar.accounts.notification] [Nope we don't need to process ***MY@APPLEID**** (....)]
default	08:50:35.354888+0200	accountsd	AMSAccountNotificationPlugin: [6590CE3B] Handling account:didChange. changeType = <ACAccount: 0x...... type = iTunesStore | backingID = .... | username = ***MY@APPLEID**** | altDSID = ... | DSID = ... | active = appstore; itunes | storefront = itunes:...,42; appstore:...,13> | account = kACAccountChangeTypeModified | caller = commerce
default	08:50:35.355123+0200	accountsd	didChangeWithType: Is active: 1 (<private>)
default	08:50:35.355161+0200	accountsd	Should process: 0 (<private>)
default	08:50:35.356436+0200	commerce	"Completed account save: YES - (null)."
default	08:50:35.356791+0200	accountsd	AMSAccountNotificationPlugin: [6F7C9447] Finished processing account:didChange:.
default	08:50:35.356878+0200	accountsd	AMSAccountNotificationPlugin: [6590CE3B] Processing the change    .
error	08:50:35.356925+0200	accountsd	AMSAccountStoreCache: [6590CE3B] An ACAccountStore has no associated media type. Returning the default media type for the current process. accountStore = AMSAccountStoreCache | defaultMediaType = com.apple.AppleMediaServices.accountmediatype.itunes
error	08:50:35.357013+0200	accountsd	AMSAccountStoreCache: [6590CE3B] An ACAccountStore has no associated media type. Returning the default media type for the current process. accountStore = AMSAccountStoreCache | defaultMediaType = com.apple.AppleMediaServices.accountmediatype.itunes
error	08:50:35.357296+0200	accountsd	ACAccount: [6590CE3B] Failed to decrypt an account property. key = accountFlags | value = {

So I did go to system preferences -> Apple ID and removed my AppleID. I then added it back in, and everything went back to normal. Thanks Apple for three hours down the drain on a Sunday morning.

I am posting it here so if somebody else has the same issue, at least they can Google it.

I am not sure if this is related to Catalina 10.15.7 - I updated yesterday, so the coincidence is pretty suspicious.

Update 2020-09-28

Looks like the problem is back. I am now trying to stay logged off of Apple ID for now and see if this keeps the problem at bay. I cannot afford to use my Mac as an expensive fridge magnet and have work to do on it.

Update 2020-10-05

I'ts been a week, and still there is no definite workaround. From the many comments below, it looks like the only thing that actually works (and worked for me) is to be signed off of my Apple account. Yes, this allows me to work, but I'd say it's less than optimal. Deleting my Internet accounts and whatnot.... I need them. You know, the very reason I have a Mac is to have a hassle-free PC experience, where things just work and I can do billable activities instead of recompiling drivers.

Personally, I would not delete system databases that I'm not 100% sure what they are for, but YMMV.

Anybody knows if there is a filed bug in Apple for this issue? or how one is supposed to file one?

Update 2020-10-07

Apple Support contacted me on Twitter; I posted the issue and a link to this discussion and we'll see if there is an official suggestion/feedback/bug number.

It just happened to me this morning, but I did the Catalina 10.15.7 update last week.

Macbook Air 2020 13"

Looks like we have to just live with it. Probably Apple changed something somewhere to facilitate Big Sur, and that something isn’t compatibel with former versions. Chances are, they will advice users of these ‘older’ versions to either stop using iCloud (fine with me) or upgrade as quickly as possible to macOS 10.16 (Microsoft tactics and not fine with me). The reason I suspect this is because Apple is suspiciously quiet about this problem that sooner or later hits every Mac-user.

Perfect for me, no more problems ;-)
Macbook pro 13 (2017) A1708

sudo -v ; killall -9 accountsd http://com.apple.iCloudHelper ; defaults delete MobileMeAccounts ; mkdir ~/Library/Accounts/Backup ; mv ~/Library/Accounts/.sqlite ~/Library/Accounts/Backup/ ; killall -9 accountsd http://com.apple.iCloudHelper ; sudo reboot

I bought an Imac 3 days ago, after updating to 10.15.7 this problem occurs to me too. I renamed the sqlite4. then i had to activate all my internet users. all runs well. after looking around i noticed i am not connected to icloud. First i get the same error (unknown error), when trying to log in. After a reboot i could log in to icloud. But after that accountsd is already high (400% cpu).

dont do this:
sudo -v ; killall -9 accountsd http://com.apple.iCloudHelper ; defaults delete MobileMeAccounts ; mkdir ~/Library/Accounts/Backup ; mv ~/Library/Accounts/.sqlite ~/Library/Accounts/Backup/ ; killall -9 accountsd http://com.apple.iCloudHelper ; sudo reboot

it is only temporarly, if you log in to icloud again problem exists.

seems we have to wait for a solution fix from apple. meanwhile everybody who wants to work normal should log out from icloud.

Update: Day 4, accountsd is still behaving normally after this procedure.
Every iCloud integration still working without problems.

These following steps work for me:

1. log out of Icloud
2. reboot into safe mode
3. log into Icloud
4. reboot (if the pop up "Update Apple ID Settings" keep showing, ignore that and reboot)
5. if that pop up keeps showing, enter the password one more time

Hope this works for you guys. I'll keep updating for the next few days :)

Update: Day 2, everything still works fine

this seems to work for me (day 2 without issue):

1. Go to System Preferences
2. Go to Apple-ID
3. Click on iCloud
4. Deactivate all programs you dont need (for me just Fotos, iCloud Drive, Calendar and Search my mac is left)
5. Click on iCloud Options
6. Deactivate everything instead of System Preferences (and what you may need)
7. Done

Will keep you posted if the issue comes back or not.

Getting into Safe Mode while restarting by pressing shift fixing this issue temporarily for me at least... for about 5-10 restarts :D

I bought an Imac 3 days ago, after updating to 10.15.7 this problem occurs to me too. I renamed the sqlite4. then i had to activate all my internet users. all runs well. after looking around i noticed i am not connected to icloud. First i get the same error (unknown error), when trying to log in. After a reboot i could log in to icloud. But after that accountsd is already high (400% cpu).

dont do this:
sudo -v ; killall -9 accountsd http://com.apple.iCloudHelper ; defaults delete MobileMeAccounts ; mkdir ~/Library/Accounts/Backup ; mv ~/Library/Accounts/.sqlite ~/Library/Accounts/Backup/ ; killall -9 accountsd http://com.apple.iCloudHelper ; sudo reboot

it is only temporarly, if you log in to icloud again problem exists.

seems we have to wait for a solution fix from apple. meanwhile everybody who wants to work normal should log out from icloud.

Not temporary for me!!! Next reboot, login into icloud and the problem fix it.
Many days without problems 🤷🏼‍♂️

Yeah it's been a couple of days since logged out, applied the fix, then logged in again and everything is back to normal since.

These following steps work for me:

1. log out of Icloud
2. reboot into safe mode
3. log into Icloud
4. reboot (if the pop up "Update Apple ID Settings" keep showing, ignore that and reboot)
5. if that pop up keeps showing, enter the password one more time

Hope this works for you guys. I'll keep updating for the next few days :)

Update: Day 2, everything still works fine

Hello.
At the moment it works to me.
Thanks nm-tran

for a week i stayed away from icloud and after i logged into account today, the issue never reappeared. maybe apple fixed the thing on their end, but today CPU wasn’t hot even while syncing the libraries. hope it will stay that way.

MBA 13” 2018 under Catalina 10.15.7 19H2

for a week i stayed away from icloud and after i logged into account today, the issue never reappeared. maybe apple fixed the thing on their end, but today CPU wasn’t hot even while syncing the libraries. hope it will stay that way.

MBA 13” 2018 under Catalina 10.15.7 19H2

Yes the same for me. Logged into iCloud yesterday and no problems so far.

MBP 15" 2019, Catalina 10.5.7

Logged back into Apple ID three days ago, the issue didn’t reappear, hope it never comes back again

After about a week I logged back into my Apple ID. So far everything seems to be fine, however, I have iCloud syncing disabled.

not sure if the same problem but:

accountsd is taking right now 58.81GB of my memory and the computer becomes very laggy.

this seems to work for me (day 2 without issue):

1. Go to System Preferences

2. Go to Apple-ID

3. Click on iCloud

4. Deactivate all programs you dont need (for me just Fotos, iCloud Drive, Calendar and Search my mac is left)

5. Click on iCloud Options

6. Deactivate everything instead of System Preferences (and what you may need)

7. Done

Will keep you posted if the issue comes back or not.

So far issue seems to be solved for me

After trying a lot from here I deactivated icloud drive only. System runs well. I activated it again, cpu runs high. So i deactivated it again. This is going well since 5 days now.

Signing out of the apple account resolved the problem for me too. As soon I'll login back the problem occurs again after some random time.

I had this exact same problem a few weeks ago and my temporal fix was just... not to shut down my MacBook but just send it to "sleep" for several weeks. Because after each restart I had the same problem and hat to manually fix it by killing the task accountsd. Initially I was on 10.5.6. A few days ago I updated to 10.5.7 and now I can restart without accountsd to fly through the roof.

Didn't try this but was about to follow these instructions if it happens again: https://mrmacintosh.com/catalina-10-15-7-update-accountsd-using-400-if-using-icloud-mail/

I just tried to re-log-in to icloud. I can report that the bug is very much still alive for me.

macbook model: MacBookPro16,2

macos catalina version: 10.15.7 (19H2)

Day 26 problem solved i would say

I haven't had the issue since I disabled all email accounts in Apple mail about a month ago. Your mileage may vary.

Day 33: Same here. All services and apps are active and running smoothly after the workaround.

Hey guys, I have a problem with me Bluetooth headphones on Catalina 10.15.7. After connecting my headphones, I can't play any audio or video and safari freezes for 30 or more seconds... Does somebody have the same problem? Please help me)
Here is the problem: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252020508