You're sitting there, staring at your screen, and you just want to get into your iCloud account or finish that macOS update. But you can't. The "Agree" button is just a ghostly, unclickable shade of grey. It’s infuriating. You've clicked it a dozen times, tried to wiggle your mouse, and maybe even let out a frustrated sigh at your MacBook. This happens way more than it should, honestly.
Usually, when the mac terms and conditions agree greyed out bug hits, it's not because your computer is broken. It’s almost always a tiny software hiccup or a UI design quirk that Apple hasn’t quite smoothed out yet. Sometimes the system just doesn't think you've actually read the legal jargon. Other times, it's a server-side glitch where your Mac is shouting at Apple’s servers, but nobody is answering.
Let's fix it. No fluff, just the stuff that actually works based on what we know about macOS Sequoia, Sonoma, and the older versions that still hang around on older iMacs.
Why the Button Won't Let You Click
Apple is legally required to make sure you "see" the terms. The software is coded with a trigger. If that trigger doesn't fire, the button stays dead.
One of the most common reasons is the scroll trigger. Basically, the system wants proof that you've scrolled through the entire document. If you're at the top, it assumes you're ignoring the fine print. But sometimes, even if you scroll to the very bottom, the button stays grey. This is often because the window hasn't "registered" the bottom of the page. You might need to click inside the text box first, then scroll. It sounds silly, but it works surprisingly often.
Then there’s the iCloud "stuck" state. If you just updated your OS, your Mac is trying to do a thousand things at once. It’s indexing files, checking for photos, and trying to authenticate your Apple ID. If the authentication handshake fails in the background, the "Agree" button stays greyed out because the session isn't technically valid yet.
The Scroll Trick and the Basic Bypasses
Before you go nuking your settings, try the "dumb" fixes.
First, click anywhere inside the actual text of the Terms and Conditions. Use your trackpad to scroll all the way to the bottom. Don't just flick fast; go steady. Once you hit the absolute bottom, wait for about five seconds. Sometimes the button takes a beat to wake up.
If that fails, look for a second "Agree" button. No, really. Often, a pop-up appears after you click the first one, asking "Are you sure?" If that pop-up is hidden behind another window, the main button will stay greyed out and unclickable. Use Mission Control (F3 or swipe up with four fingers) to see if there's a rogue confirmation window hiding in the shadows.
Another weirdly effective trick? Change your resolution. Go to System Settings > Displays and toggle to a different scaling. This forces the UI to redraw. If the button was greyed out because of a rendering glitch, this "shakes" it loose.
Dealing with the iCloud Loop
If you're seeing the mac terms and conditions agree greyed out error specifically within System Settings (under the "Update Apple ID Settings" prompt), the problem is deeper. This is a classic iCloud synchronization error.
The most reliable way to beat this is to sign out and back in, but that’s a pain. Try this instead:
- Close System Settings entirely. Use Command+Q.
- Open your browser and go to iCloud.com.
- Sign in there. If there are new terms to accept, the website might prompt you.
- Accept them in the browser.
- Go back to your Mac and see if the prompt has vanished or if the button is now blue.
If it's still stuck, you might have to do the "Sign Out" dance. Go to System Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out. It’ll ask if you want to keep a copy of your data on the Mac. Say yes (to be safe). Once you're signed out, restart the machine. This clears the temporary cache files that hold onto those "stuck" login states. Sign back in, and the terms usually behave.
The Terminal Method for Power Users
If you’re comfortable with a little command-line action, you can sometimes bypass the UI hang entirely. This doesn't "skip" the legal agreement, but it can kickstart the process that’s hanging.
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Open Terminal (Command + Space, type "Terminal"). Type:softwareupdate --agree-to-license
This is specifically for when a macOS update is hanging on the terms. If you're in the middle of a terminal-based update and the UI is blocking you, this command tells the system, "Yes, I agree, just keep moving."
What if the Screen is Totally Frozen?
Sometimes the "Agree" button isn't just grey—the whole window is unresponsive. This usually happens right after a major OS jump, like moving from Ventura to Sonoma.
Check your internet connection. It sounds basic, but if your Wi-Fi drops for even a second while that window is loading, the "Agree" button won't activate because it can't send the "Success" signal to Apple's servers. Toggle your Wi-Fi off and back on. If you're on a VPN, turn it off. Apple's activation servers sometimes get cranky with certain VPN exit nodes, flagging them as suspicious and blocking the handshake.
The "Safe Mode" Hail Mary
If nothing is working, it’s time for Safe Mode. This is the "clean room" of macOS. It prevents unnecessary startup items from loading and, more importantly, it runs a check on your startup disk.
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- For Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3): Shut down. Press and hold the power button until "Loading startup options" appears. Select your disk, hold the Shift key, and click "Continue in Safe Mode."
- For Intel Macs: Restart and immediately hold the Shift key until the login window appears.
Once you’re in Safe Mode, try accepting the terms again. If it works here, it means some third-party app—maybe a weird firewall like Little Snitch or an aggressive antivirus—was interfering with the "Agree" button's ability to talk to the internet.
Real-World Edge Cases
I've seen cases where a user had a "child" account or a Managed Apple ID from work. If your Mac is managed by a company (MDM), they might have a policy that prevents you from accepting new terms until the administrator clears them. If you see a message saying "This Mac is supervised," that's your cue to call your IT department. You literally cannot click that button because your profile doesn't have the "authority" to agree to new legal contracts.
Another rare one: Date and Time settings. If your Mac’s clock is off by even a few minutes, the security certificates used to validate the Terms and Conditions will fail. The button stays grey because the "contract" isn't technically valid in what the computer thinks is the current time. Go to System Settings > General > Date & Time and make sure "Set time and date automatically" is toggled on.
Actionable Steps to Clear the Glitch
If you are currently stuck, follow this specific sequence. Do not skip steps.
- Force Quit System Settings: Press Option+Command+Esc, select System Settings, and hit Force Quit. Reopen and try again.
- The "Click and Scroll" Move: Click the body of the text. Scroll slowly to the bottom. Wait 10 seconds.
- Check for Hidden Windows: Press F3 to see if an "Are you sure?" prompt is hiding behind the main window.
- Toggle Wi-Fi and VPN: Turn off your VPN. Cycle your Wi-Fi. The button needs a solid "ping" to Apple's servers to turn blue.
- The iCloud Web Bypass: Log into iCloud.com on a browser. Accept any prompts there, then restart your Mac.
- Last Resort: Sign out of your Apple ID on the Mac, restart, and sign back in.
Most people find that the "Click and Scroll" or the "Sign Out/Sign In" method fixes the mac terms and conditions agree greyed out issue 99% of the time. It’s almost never a hardware failure; it’s just a digital paper jam. Clear the queue, reset the connection, and you’ll be back to work.