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

I Just checked from another device from home  (my iPad) and it looks as if it went through.... Still reads my hotmail appleid but the email address is icloud, as per the change i did earlier. So it looks as if it worked and stuck. sorry, i dont really have an explanation for it to work or not to work. I just followed what they said in the other thread and it worked it seems.

CHeers

Good to hear that method works on the UK site!  I wish Apple would allow that method to work on the US site.

I know this may sound stupid and patronising.... but... have you tried to go through the UK site? Not sure it would work if you originally registered on the US one but its prob worth a shot!

Update:

I sent my findings/frustrations regarding this topic to senior Apple management. The safety aspect of this situation in particular is something that needs addressing, but overall the situation is confusing and the user experience is very poor.

I was first contact by an Executive Relations manager to discuss the matter. The matter was forwarded to an iCloud engineer and a member of Apple support staff has just contact me to relay the feedback from the iCloud team.

1. The situation is well known within the iCloud team. Without going into any details, it was made clear that there a lot of legacy systems running at the backend. The main issue is that Apple wants to simplify it's services by using one ID throughout the Apple network. However, the backend uses many different systems for many different types of accounts. It is 'near impossible' to actually get what we want.

2. When you have both a primary AppleID and Alias, these are actually two separate AppleID's. They are just tied together in the backend to 'simulate' one AppleID. Changing the primary AppleID into your Alias and vice versa would result in all sorts of problems in the backend that are very difficult to fix without completly restructuring the AppleID/iCloud user system.

3. You can in fact change your primary email address, so that communications regarding your Apple ID actually goes to a different email address than that of the primary AppleID. This cannot be done by users, but only by request and only if Apple approves your request.

4. I asked if they at least would make it possible for users to specify which email address they want to use for communication. The answer was, as expected: 'I don't know'. However, it seemed that they are very aware of the situation and judging by the way they handled the situations we might see this option some day. Changing your primary AppleID into an icloud.com/me.com address, however, will probably not be possible for a long time, if ever.

5. It seems there is an overall 'fear' at Apple regarinding Apple ID's. It seems they are very hesitant to make any real changes and any changes will take a long time to be approved and implemented. This is pure speculation, but I assume this has to do with a fear of running into unforseen security risks. The last thing Apple (or any organisation) would ever want is a security breach in your central accounts system. Look at all the media attention this has gotten over the last months, even though Apple wasn't to blame for those 'hacks'.

Bottom line: it's still a silly and dangerous situation. At least now we know why, or at least a little. We will probably just have to live with this and hope that Apple will integrate the alias system further and deeper so that the alias actually becomes useable as a fullon AppleID and your primary AppleID is just there as backup.

Yeah this is quite annoying. I used gmail and windows/android for a few years but now I'm back on mac I thought it would be a good idea to use icloud. My main reason was that gmail labels screw up email clients and makes hard work on a mac. So I moved all my gmail mail to icloud, all set to go. Then to my dismay I go to change my appleID to my new @icloud email and no go. Sorry, you can't do that. Can't believe it! So my next approach was:

1) Forward email from @gmail to @cloud.

2) Changed app store payment details to send billing info to @icloud.

Now, anything I buy will at least send receipts to @icloud. However, I have no idea where they will send mail if I log in on another device (the panic email you get), possibly @gmail. Who knows?! It's actually quite ridiculous. If I had continued to use gmail, that was my appleID, my primary email, my only email, everything, so it was actually easier than using @icloud! What a train wreck.

Just so you know, you can create an iCloud account that is, in and of itself, an Apple ID. To do this you would go to Settings>iCloud on an iOS device, sign out of iCloud, and once you are signed out, you will see the option to set up a new Apple ID. This ID will have the domain @iCloud.com. The only downside to this is that you would probably want to still use your existing Apple ID for your iTunes & App Store logon, since all of your past purchases would be tied to that ID.

Cheers,

GB

I have a yahoo e-mail Apple ID to log into itunes etc on my current ipad.  On this iPad I also have an icloud e-mail address just as my e-mail.  If I buy a new iPad, can I use my existing icloud e-mail as my new Apple ID?

So, is your iCloud email address the same as your yahoo address before the @?

Or is it a completely unique address both before and after the @?

Cheers,

GB

Wnader wrote:

 

I have a yahoo e-mail Apple ID to log into itunes etc on my current ipad.  On this iPad I also have an icloud e-mail address just as my e-mail.  If I buy a new iPad, can I use my existing icloud e-mail as my new Apple ID?

As I understand you, you have an Apple ID which is a Yahoo address, which is the login for your iCloud account which has its own @icloud.com address. This iCloud address is tied to the Yahoo ID account and cannot be used as another Apple ID. You can't transfer any iCloud address, main or alias, to another account either as its ID or its address.

its completely different

Im not sure its tied to it.  I had the Yahoo Apple ID account for many years but just made a new icloud account EMAIL in the last month.  I have it as one of my e-mails on the iPad but its not in anyway otherwise tied.

OK, if it is completely different, then it should already be a totally separate Apple ID.

To find out for sure, log into Apple - My Apple ID with the iCloud ID and password, to see if it exists out there as a primary ID.

Cheers,

GB

You have an iCloud account which has its own @icloud.com address. Either its login is that address or it is some other address. If the ID is the @icloud.com address you can obviously sign into iCloud with that on another device. If the ID is a non-Apple address you cannot change it to the @icloud.com address; you can of course sign in with the ID address.

Yes its the primary ID, so that means I can set up my new iPad with it?  Many thanks.

Sorry Im pretty confused but Im pretty sure you are saying I can sign in onto my new iPad with this month old Apple ID which I also have as an e-mail account on my old Yahoo Apple ID iPad.  Many thanks