Can’t sign in or sign up with Game Center

Several users have reported that they are having difficulty figuring how to sign up with Game Center or creating an account with the application. If you are having this issue, please try the following tips. Check to see if your problem is resolved after each step before going to the next one.

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Contents

• 1 Sign Up With Game Center: For iOS 10 and above
• 2 Troubleshooting Game Center iOS 10+
  • 2.1 Try the following, one at a time
  • 2.2 If you’re unable to sign in or getting server errors
• 3 Fix Login or Sign up Problems in iOS 9 and below
• 4 Reader Tips 

Sign Up With Game Center: For iOS 10 and above

Starting in iOS 10, Game Center is no longer a stand-alone app.  Instead, game center is now located in your Settings Menu. You still connect to games with your Apple ID, invite nearby players, create a nickname, and manage your Game friends.  Just now all at Settings > Game Center! Take a look at our article working with Game Center in iOS10 and above.

Troubleshooting Game Center iOS 10+

 

Try the following, one at a time

1. Check for an update via Setttings > General > Software Update. If available, updating via iTunes is always preferred but if not possible, update via this iDevice option. Remember to backup first!
   
   
   
   1. Oftentimes, all it takes is an update to solve your issues
   
   
   
   


2. Log out and back into Game Center via Settings > Game Center and toggle Game Center off


3. Log in to Game Center with your Main Apple ID. If that works, try your alternates (preferably using iOS 11’s Account & Passwords feature)


4. Power your device off and then back on


5. Force Restart your device
   
   
   
   1. On an iPhone 6S or below plus all iPads & iPod Touches, press Home and Power at the same time until you see the Apple logo
   
   
   2. For iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold both the Side and Volume Down buttons for at least 10 seconds, until you see the Apple logo
   
   
   3. On an iPhone X or iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo
   
   
   
   


6. Resetting Network settings by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.  This action removes all stored WiFi passwords 


7. Try resetting ALL your settings. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. This action removes any personalization that you’ve made in any setting, returning them to factory defaults. It does NOT impact any data


8. Turn off any firewall settings on your router, if possible


9. Log OUT of  iTunes and the App Store, restart, then log back in


10. Change your DNS to Google’s Public DNS of 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

If you’re unable to sign in or getting server errors

Seeing notifications like Could Not Sign in- There was a problem connecting to the server OR messages like Unable to connect to server- The operation couldn’t be completed  OR Domain Errors that look like this (NSURLErrorDomain error-xxxx)?

When you get these errors, they usually indicate a problem with Apple Servers. So check the Apple’s System Status page and look for any reports on problems with Game Center, Apple ID, iCloud, and similar services. Make sure you look at your country’s Apple System Status Page–things are very different around the world. If you see problems, that could account for your issues–the only remedy is time. 

I also like to check third-party down detector sites for user reports–these are often more accurate than Apple. And they feature users from all over the world, so it’s easy to check for reports in your neighborhood!

Make sure you check for updates, we often hear reader reports that updating their iOS, using iTunes if possible, gets everything working again with no more server errors!

Fix Login or Sign up Problems in iOS 9 and below

1. Make sure that your device is connected to the internet.


2. Make sure that your iOS software is up to date.


3. Try turning off and then on your Wi-Fi router.


4. Try signing up or signing in to your account using the Game Center app instead of a game.


5. Launch a game that supports Game Center, when it prompts you, select to log in to Game Center with an existing account (do not select the “create a  new account” option). Then use your Apple ID to sign in.


6.  Reset your Apple ID/Game Center password. To manage your Apple ID account, visit My Apple ID (appleid.apple.com).


7. If you own multiple devices (Mac, iPad, iPhone etc); try another device to sign into Game Center.


8. Make sure that the date, time, and time zone are set correctly. Enable “Set date and time automatically” (Mac OS X: Apple menu > System Preferences > Date & Time; iOS: Settings > General > Date & Time).

Reader Tips 

• Fred received the dreaded Domain Error (NSURLErrorDomain error-1202) and here’s what worked for him at least temporarily: Fred’s temporary fix: log out of Gamecenter entirely. Then launch the game and the Gamecenter login screen will appear. From there try to sign in. if it works, great move on. If it doesn’t, at least the prefilled login data is there and just hit Sign In again. Fred also reported that he changed connection types to see if anything worked better—for example, try Cellular Data instead of WiFi or Use WiFi hotspots or a different WiFi network.


• Adjust the DNS servers to Google’s Public DNS of 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Then log out of Gamecenter and launch a game to force the Game Center to open the login screen rather than entering your info in Settings > Game Center

Let us know if any of those methods help you resolve the issue. Happy Gaming!