How to delete old iCloud passwords for reuse

The short answer is that you cannot manually delete your password history to trick the system into accepting an old password immediately. Apple’s security protocols are specifically designed to prevent this behavior. The system enforces a strict time-based rule that generally prohibits the reuse of any password that has been active within the last 12 months. This means that if the password you want to use was active recently, there is no button or setting you can press to "clear" the memory of it; you are locked out of that specific character combination until the timer expires.

Some users attempt to bypass this by "cycling" their passwords—changing the password repeatedly in a single afternoon in hopes of pushing the old one off the "recent" list. However, because Apple's restriction is primarily based on time (one year) rather than just a specific count (e.g., "the last 5 passwords"), this strategy usually fails. Changing your password 20 times today will not unlock the password you used yesterday; the system effectively "greys out" that password until a full year has passed since it was last employed.

Since you cannot force the system to accept the exact old password, your best practical option is to use a variation that satisfies your muscle memory while meeting security requirements. For example, if your old password was MyDogName123, try changing it to MyDogName123! or MyDogName2025. This change is distinct enough for Apple to register it as a "new" password, but close enough to the original that it remains easy for you to remember. If you are determined to use the exact original string, your only option is to wait until the full 12-month period has elapsed.

This rule exists for account security and cannot be bypassed.