Q: Merge apple id's, me.com and itunes account?

Okay, so I've read the support document and I still don't know what to do.

Here's my situation:

I have my real, original AppleID, the one I'm signed in with now, which I've had for a bazillion years, and which I use for the bulk of my iTMS purchases.

I have another AppleID for the Japanese store, which I use when I'm buying something for work (I live in Japan and need the prices in yen to be reimbursed). Also, sometimes I need Japan-only apps, like train route-finders, etc.

I have yet another (didn't realize this) from MobileMe.

I don't care about MobileMe at all. All I ever used it for was syncing and Find my iPhone. iCloud completely obviates it, and Apple has helpfully stripped third-party syncing from it so I get to sync ever more stuff through Dropbox, which is a very sad state of affairs, but I digress.

In that case, rather than transitioning my MM account to iCloud, it might make more sense just to put it out to pasture and consolidate on my US AppleID. I don't care what account pushes my contacts around to my computers and devices (boy am I getting sick of everything in my computing life increasingly revolving around my phone); I just want them there.

However, I suspect that would mean I'd need to manually add all my calendar entries to the new iCloud calendars? What a pain!

Okay, so let's say I go with option 2 from the support document and use my old MM account for iCloud services, but my US AppleID for the store... Then do I still get to do automatic downloads? Wireless sync? Any of the stuff that iCloud is there to add? No, I can't imagine I would be able to, because the store will be set to one thing and the device to another.

This is a disaster. A total disaster.

I have a similar issue

I have an old AppleID (pre mobileme) the is just firstlastname (no email ending aka @xxx.com)

Then I signed up to .mac so I got a firstlastname@mac.com

I only used this for the e-mail...and I'm pretty sure but not positive that I could login to the webservices...unless the webservice automatically appeneded the @xxx.com in the login process.

then the iphone came out along with mobile me....so I ended up with a firstlastname@me.com which is linked to the @mac.com account...if I log into AppleID with either @mac or @me I get the same account...whihc the ID is firstlastname@mac.com.

where if I log in with just firstlastname, I get a different account

I've been using the orginal ( firstlastname not an e-mail account) for all my purchases, syncing and hsaring between devices etc...in fact I don't think I've used the @me/@mac hardly at all.

somehow my @me.com e-mail address has become verifed as the primary address for the non-email account.

With transition to iCloud...it has forced the use of an email based AppleID...so all my purchases will be on another account to my ICloud, e-mail etc...furthermore I forced to use an old @mac login...a now anciaent product.

This becomes most complicated with Facetime that won't let me use the @me address asa contact address, because it is verified to the non-email appleID...

so If I want to try and streamline accounts I'll have to go back to telling people my address is @mac.com?

Seriously...does apple no care about long time users? every single upgrade works great if your starting from scratch...but ***** if you've been sticking it out with them for years.

I think I'll end up having to remember when to use which ID one for cloud, one for purchases, one for facetime, one for what ever else....this is rediculous

Seriously how hard could merging be?...why should we ahve to cart around digital baggage.

this luach might be another mobileme fail! at least for me...I'm not enjoying the "magic" apple claims to be...but more like a headache that reminds me of microsoft!

for the record I have

2 MacBook Pros

2 iPhones

1 iPad

1 AppleTV

and significant libraries of purchases content and apps.

@me.com has also been my primary e-mail for 3 years now

etc etc...very disappointed in what should ahve been a fun day!

@Kurtz25 - you could use iCals export and import to save having to manually re-enter calendar entries.

Regarding The syncing and automatic downloads, this is what I *think*.

I think there is a bit of confusion, as iCloud is sold as this single synchronisation point.  However, it is actually more like two different sync points, one for iTunes content, and one for all the other stuff.  It is a confusing and strange situation Apple have created, due to it seemingly being easier than them letting you merge accounts, however, I think it should mean that cloud syncing should still work fine even if you have separate ids for your store accounts and your could account.  I could well be wrong, though.

Secondly, though, and hoped, that wi-fi sync would still synch to your Mac/PC, rather than the cloud, so shouldn't matter what your iCloud account is.  Again I could be wrong, but as some content (TV shows I've recorded myself, movies, etc) are no cloud compatible, I would assume it must synch these to a base-computer, rather than the cloud, and I really hopw this is how wi-fi sync works, as it's what I've wanted for agaes, and will be gutted if it only synchs the content from the cloud.

Hypathetically - One way you may be able to get your contacts & calenders etc from your me account is to use your iOS5 device to setup iCloud choose you me account, then delete it and when it asks what to do with your stuff choose 'keep on my iPhone' then sign in with your apple ID and choose merge when it asks.

only when you do that at the moment it tells you to go to me.com/move and move over to iCloud which I can't do at present beause the server is overloaded.

i've gone from being the kid on the Disneyworld ad to a blackberry user in less then an hour.

Yeah I will join this club of unhappy people.

I own 2 x iPhones, 2 x iPads and a Mac Book Pro.

Started with iPod years ago and signed up for iTunes with an email address of choice at the time (boy, did I wish I'd thought more about that), since then I've purchased approximately 7 years worth of music etc on that email address.

A few years back I migrated to Mobile Me in a bid to keep, my contacts and calendar in particular in sync, so at that point I get @me.com address

I'd been using original for iTunes / iPad / iPhone purchases and @me.com for Mobile Me mail, contacts and calendar.

I booked a genius appointment taking in several thousand £'s worth of devices into store to get help with this only to be told be a smug spotty youth that I cannot merge Id's - did I hear you right son, the best technology company company in the world cannot get merge my two IDs together!!!!!!  Trip wasted of course.

And here we are now, got my iOS5 eventually last night, upgraded my Mac Book and iTunes, ended up in all sorted of hassles about which is primary Id and which isn't.  Just absolutely unnecessary rubbish Apple.  Come on - get this sorted !

I followed the mobile me migration instructions and setup @me.com as my iCloud account then went into Store Settings on my iPhone and signed out and in with my old email address that's been used in iTunes then I get a "This device is already associated with an apple ID and auto download will only work with 1 id every 90 days"

What I find amazing really, unless I misunderstood this, is Apple is actually creating a bigger problem here by suggesting everyone takes a free @me.com address with iCloud, surely all these people already have an iTunes login, effectively creating the same situation we are already in.

We can push data all over the place through all our devices, but we cannot get the content bought over years from 1 ID merged into another ID.  Rediculous!!!

I wonder if iTunes Match (if it gets to UK) will fix this eventually once and for all.

It's typical though as someone else said, the more brand loyal you become and the more you spend embracing these wonderful creations, the worse you are treated.

Jason

PS - On a positive note.  iOS5 appears to have fixed my sticky home button issue, that apple wanted £129 to fix for me as I didn't have Applecare on my iPhone, so that's a positive.

K, here's what I think I'll do:

1. Merge MM to iCloud.
2. Set stores to use the US AppleID.
3. Pray that I never have to change the AppleID more than once every 90 days... Which seems insane to me anyway; if there are multiple users on my computer, there'd be multiple accounts anyway. Apple really ***** at this.

The wifi syncing appears to be done just over the local network, when it sees the computer with your library on it.

...Wait a minute... What's the deal with Back to my Mac? That was another MM service that I used a lot when I found myself at work without some file that I hadn't synced to my laptop before leaving the house...

This is ridiculous.

This is getting ridiculous.

I had a mobile me account so when I installed ios5 on the iphone it would not allow me to use my itunes account because it was not an e-mail so I had to use the mobile me email that it was requesting by default. All Ok up to that point but the apps were not bought with the mobile me account but with itunes account so none opened...turned iphone off then on and the apps started to work but now I have my mobile me account on app store so I cant  buy anything with my itunes account. I can update them with the corrrect account but cant buy any more apps with that account. I wiil end up having apps bought with 2 dif accounts on the same iphone/Ipad

On the Ipad I did not make the same mistake so I skipped the icloud/itunes account setup...on the Ipad I have the correct itunes account but wont be abble to use Icloud (or will I?). On the Iphone I will be able to use icloud but cant buy or update apps

How confusing is this? I am sure there is an answer but If someone can help I would be grateful.

there is a general lack of explanation about this as most people that have a m.me account probbaly dont use that account for the Itunes store

I now wish I had never bought a B**dy M.me account as the people that never had one dont have this problem

I've the same problem. I've changed the store account on the iPhone to the old one without @me.com, so I can download app from appstore.

But my email doesn't work on the mac, sometimes works on the iphone, and always works on the webmail.

The problem is that I can't verify the new Id Apple XXXX@me.com because the email address is already verified on Id Apple XXXX. Id I try to change the primary email from Id Aplle XXXX nothing happens

There is no escape from this...

There has to be a solution.

I am hoping someone here can explain how to merge the accounts or in some way make one of them work with both itunes/app store and Icloud.

This is supposed to simplify life not complicate it but at the moment I am at a loss as to how to make everything work.

(My paranoia paid off as I sync my stuff with microsoft exchange/gmail so no loss with respect to this)

so in short - if you've paid for mobileMe over the past few years (which has no doubt funded this fiasco), you are now gettting screwed by the man.

And there's me thinking we'd be getting some kind of perk for being loyal mobileMe customers.

Okay, so before I do anything with iCloud - I am thinking of just letting my current ME account die off in the internet land and creating a new fresh iCloud accout, using my iTunes AppleID (Since it is different from my ME account). Is this the best course of action you guys think?

This may help some users: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4895

OK, having read various articles, I will try and summarize my understanding:

1) iCloud is actually really two services, "iCloud" and "iTunes in the Cloud".  "iCloud" is used in places for a blanket term to cover both, however, you can use a different Apple ID for each.

2) You can use a different Apple ID for puchases any time you like, however, you can only change the id you use for "iTunes in the Cloud" features once ever 90 days.  "iTunes in the Cloud" features include automatic downloads of new purchases to the device.

3) You cannot merge Apple IDs.

4) You cannot use your mobile.me address with a different Apple ID (it is already assigned to your mobile.me Apple ID, and is not reassign-able).

I am assuming that when iTunes Match launches, that you will use your "iTunes in the Cloud" Apple ID for that, rather than your "iCloud" Apple ID. 

I'm not sure there is, or will be, any way to link the two IDs, to say "this iCloud account is linked to that iTunes in the Cloud account", but I'm not sure there needs to be.  I assuming purchasing extra space for iTunes match will be separate from purchasing extra space for iCloud.

I'm not sure how iTunes match will work if you have music bought on lots of different Apple IDs, but maybe it will magically match just like music you've ripped from CDs, or aquired through other means.

thanks I will folow those steps this evening and see if they work.

I will probably opt for the old m.me account for icloud and continue with a dif account for purchases.

Oh, and I think someone was asking about BackToMyMac, this is available as part of iCloud, just enable it in the iCloud preferences in System Preferences.  I've enabled it on my home and work Macs, and it works great.