reitermoritz

Q: Why can't I use my iCloud email address as my Apple ID

When I want to enter my iCloud email address (like foo@icloud.com) as my Apple ID, the system at appleid.apple.com tells me that I can't use an email address with a domain owned by Apple as my Apple ID which I find odd enough. I tried to create a new Apple ID through appleid.apple.com just to see what happens and even then it says that you cannot use an email address with an Apple domain.

 

It becomes even more odd when you consider that, if I'm not wrong, you can very well create a new Apple ID and use a new @icloud.com email address if you do it with an iPhone.

 

I can use my iCloud address as the primary email address of my Apple ID account so it's not a huge problem, but it still annoys me a little bit that the name of my Apple ID has to continue being my obsolete Gmail address.

 

Does anyone have more information on this?

Posted on Oct 15, 2012 8:48 AM

Close

Q: Why can't I use my iCloud email address as my Apple ID

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

first Previous Page 17 of 21 last Next
  • by Ski22,

    Ski22 Ski22 Apr 30, 2015 8:23 AM in response to Matthew Palm
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 30, 2015 8:23 AM in response to Matthew Palm

    I am positive.  There is no longer an option to that will allow you to change your primary email address to a @icloud/@me address. It's silly!

  • by Roger Wilmut1,

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Apr 30, 2015 8:27 AM in response to Matthew Palm
    Level 9 (77,879 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 30, 2015 8:27 AM in response to Matthew Palm

    Bit of semantic confusion here. The 'primary address' is the address which forms your Apple ID, which may be different from the @icloud.com etc. address set up when an iCloud account is opened. 

     

    When the primary address is the same as the @icloud.com address (which is the case for migrants from MobileMe, or for people who created an iCloud account and an Apple ID at the same time in System Preferences>iCloud as detailed above) it cannot be changed.

     

    When the primary address is a non-Apple address (as is the case for people who created an Apple ID and only subsequently used it to create an iCloud account) it can be changed to any address not associated with an Apple ID (including any @mac.com. @me.com or @icloud.com address).

     

    The primary address, whatever it is, is the one used by Apple to contact you in the event of problems, so if it is the @icloud.com etc. address it's important to have an alternative non-Apple address associated with the account so that you can still be contacted if the account is inaccessible for any reason.

  • by Matthew Palm,

    Matthew Palm Matthew Palm Apr 30, 2015 8:45 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (41 points)
    Apr 30, 2015 8:45 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    More than a decade ago, I created a one-name Apple ID (remember those?), and then a few years later changed it to my then email address, let's just say @matt. When Apple introduced the @me email domain, I changed my personal email to @me, but discovered that I could not change my Apple ID to @me, so I kept it as my legacy @matt address. However, I was able to change my primary email address to @me, even though I had to keep my @matt email as my Apple ID. Today, I can log in to Apple services using @me or @matt, and all my Apple correspondence gets sent to my @me emaIl. It's not ideal, but it works.

  • by Ski22,

    Ski22 Ski22 Apr 30, 2015 8:48 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 30, 2015 8:48 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    The issue is that if your primary email address is not currently a @icloud account, you cannot change it to a @icloud account. Even if that @icloud account is associated with your Apple-ID.   Apple always sends correspondence (purchases, etc) to your primary email address.  Which means it will always go to your old email address. I understand the importance of having alternate (non-apple) email address. The issue is that Apple correspondence always go to the primary email address, which cannot be changed to a @icloud/@me address.  

  • by Ski22,

    Ski22 Ski22 Apr 30, 2015 8:52 AM in response to Matthew Palm
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 30, 2015 8:52 AM in response to Matthew Palm

    Matthew Palm wrote:

     

    However, I was able to change my primary email address to @me, even though I had to keep my @matt email as my Apple ID.

     

    Apple at one time allowed you to change your primary email address to @me or @icloud.  But that is no longer the case!!  Apple no longer allows this change.

  • by ARB-82,

    ARB-82 ARB-82 Apr 30, 2015 9:15 AM in response to Ski22
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Notebooks
    Apr 30, 2015 9:15 AM in response to Ski22

    Ski22 wrote:

     

    Matthew Palm wrote:

     

    However, I was able to change my primary email address to @me, even though I had to keep my @matt email as my Apple ID.

     

    Apple at one time allowed you to change your primary email address to @me or @icloud.  But that is no longer the case!!  Apple no longer allows this change.

     

    I did not know this has been a possibility, but as far as I can tell there is simply no way to have Apple correspondence send to any other address than your primary AppleID. When you login to 'Manage Apple ID', you will notice it says: 'Apple ID and Primary Email address'. In other words your Apple ID is always your Primary Email address.

     

    While there may be some exceptions, there is a serious problem for most Apple ID users here. If you do not wish to/have a secondary email account that you check regularly you might miss important emails from Apple regarding purchases, security and other Apple ID related issues.

     

    This is beyond silly, it's actually quite dangerous. If your Apple ID is a non-Apple address, it seems that Apple 'forces' you to sign up to a service like Gmail. Not only that, Apple also 'forces' you to actually check that account regularly as they send vital information to that account. How this ever managed to slip by Apple leadership...

  • by Roger Wilmut1,

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Apr 30, 2015 9:19 AM in response to ARB-82
    Level 9 (77,879 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 30, 2015 9:19 AM in response to ARB-82

    ARB-82 wrote:


    If you do not wish to/have a secondary email account that you check regularly you might miss important emails from Apple regarding purchases, security and other Apple ID related issues.

    And as said above, if your primary address is also your iCloud address and something goes wrong with your account (like forgetting your password) then Apple cannot contact you. You could always set up forwarding from the other address to your usual address (set it to leave messages on the server as well when you do this, for obvious reasons).

  • by Ski22,

    Ski22 Ski22 Apr 30, 2015 9:27 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 30, 2015 9:27 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    Roger Wilmut1 wrote:

     

    And as said above, if your primary address is also your iCloud address and something goes wrong with your account (like forgetting your password) then Apple cannot contact you. You could always set up forwarding from the other address to your usual address (set it to leave messages on the server as well when you do this, for obvious reasons).

     

    Apple can use your ALTERNATIVE email address if something goes wrong with your account.  But Apple always sends correspondence to your primary email address!! That is the issue. 

     

    Also having to setup a forwarding from the other address as a work-around is silly and dangerous!! Last month, Apple had an issue where emails from gmail would be rejected...as detailed below...

     

    http://9to5mac.com/2015/03/17/icloud-gmail-delivery-issues/

  • by ARB-82,

    ARB-82 ARB-82 Apr 30, 2015 9:28 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Notebooks
    Apr 30, 2015 9:28 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    Roger Wilmut1 wrote:

     

    ARB-82 wrote:


    If you do not wish to/have a secondary email account that you check regularly you might miss important emails from Apple regarding purchases, security and other Apple ID related issues.

    And as said above, if your primary address is also your iCloud address and something goes wrong with your account (like forgetting your password) then Apple cannot contact you. You could always set up forwarding from the other address to your usual address (set it to leave messages on the server as well when you do this, for obvious reasons).

     

    But this is quite silly. One should never be forced to use their 'recovery' email address as the primary address. Your reasoning doesn't make sense:

     

    a) A user should not be required to set up forwarding from one email account to another. Most users cannot perform this task and above all it is a very poor user experience with mixed results (spam filters, rules settings etc etc might block some mails).

     

    b) You can always enter an alternate email address that you can access only when needed, but not the other way around. A recovery email is something you only enter when needed, a primary email address is something you need to check very regularly.

     

    c) There is a special recovery option that a user can enable to reset the account in case something goes wrong and a user forgets his/her answers to the verification questions.

     

    d) There is always the Recovery Key via 2-step verification to solve this problem as well.

  • by ARB-82,

    ARB-82 ARB-82 Apr 30, 2015 9:29 AM in response to Ski22
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Notebooks
    Apr 30, 2015 9:29 AM in response to Ski22

    Ski22 wrote:

     

    Roger Wilmut1 wrote:

     

    And as said above, if your primary address is also your iCloud address and something goes wrong with your account (like forgetting your password) then Apple cannot contact you. You could always set up forwarding from the other address to your usual address (set it to leave messages on the server as well when you do this, for obvious reasons).

     

    Apple can use your ALTERNATIVE email address if something goes wrong with your account.  But Apple always sends correspondence to your primary email address!! That is the issue.

     

    Also having to setup a forwarding from the other address as a work-around is silly and dangerous!! Last month, Apple had an issue where emails from gmail would be rejected...as detailed below...

     

    http://9to5mac.com/2015/03/17/icloud-gmail-delivery-issues/

     

    I think we sort of agree on this

  • by ARB-82,

    ARB-82 ARB-82 Apr 30, 2015 9:54 AM in response to reitermoritz
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Notebooks
    Apr 30, 2015 9:54 AM in response to reitermoritz

    Case in point:

     

    - Click your username in the top-left of this message board

    - Note the email address it shows in your profile: this is your primary Apple ID, even if you signed in with your Alternate Apple ID

    - All notifications from this message board go to the Primary email address (same as primay Apple ID).

     

    Some Apple services like Messages and iCloud do actually show your Alternate Apple ID when you log in to those services, but the App Store and iTunes Store for example still show your Primary Apple ID even if you logged in using your Alternate Apple ID.

     

    You actually need a Gmail (insert any mail provider here) account to use an Apple ID...

    Yes, Apple 'fixed' it by giving you the option to use an icloud.com address as both your Apple ID and Primary email address. But this is only for new users and a 'once in a lifetime' option. Choose the wrong option on sign-up and you're basically screwed forever.

     

    I would laugh about it, if it wasn't so ridicoulously backward and brain-dead.

  • by Francois Lassalle,

    Francois Lassalle Francois Lassalle May 5, 2015 11:04 AM in response to ARB-82
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 5, 2015 11:04 AM in response to ARB-82

    Someone found out how to change the primary email address so that all coms go to that one (even tho you still can change your Apple ID). That means you will not have to create rules to forward apple emails etc:

    Link to thread:

    Change my "Apple ID and Primary Email Address" to my @me.com address

    Summary below:

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

    I figured out how to at least change my PRIMARY EMAIL to my @me account, so that I don't get receipts and other communications at an old, unused non-Apple email address!  Try this:

     

    1)  Use your browser to go to the Apple Store website.  In the USA, it is: http://store.apple.com/us or http://store.apple.com/uk for the UK.

    2)  Hover on ACCOUNT on the upper right, then scroll down and click on ACCOUNT HOME PAGE

    3)  Click on CHANGE YOUR DEFAULT SHIPPING OR BILLING INFO down on the left

    4)  Log in with your Apple ID and password

    5)  Click EDIT under PAYMENT INFORMATION

    6)  Enter your preferred email address where your old, defunct email address appears

    7)  Click SAVE

     

    On 6), you can use xxxxx@me.com. If it tells you this is already in use, then just use your xxxxx@icloud.com and it should work.


    Hope this helps.

  • by Ski22,

    Ski22 Ski22 May 5, 2015 11:19 AM in response to Francois Lassalle
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 5, 2015 11:19 AM in response to Francois Lassalle

    Unfortunately this no longer works.  When you attempt to change the email address, you get the below error:

     

    For security reasons, you cannot perform this operation. You must go to appleid.apple.com to update your Apple ID information.

  • by Francois Lassalle,

    Francois Lassalle Francois Lassalle May 5, 2015 11:23 AM in response to Ski22
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 5, 2015 11:23 AM in response to Ski22

    damned, sorry to hear. I just did it from the UK site and it worked using my icloud email so i guess its still working in some parts

    good luck finding another workaround

  • by Ski22,

    Ski22 Ski22 May 5, 2015 11:29 AM in response to Francois Lassalle
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 5, 2015 11:29 AM in response to Francois Lassalle

    Are you sure it worked on the UK site ?  If it's like the US site, it might act like it worked while you are still logged in, but it didn't really accept it.  Try logging off the site and re-logging back in and check to see if it really took your email change.

first Previous Page 17 of 21 last Next