What is the difference between Apple ID and iCloud address?

Question

What is the difference between Apple ID and iCloud address?

A few years ago, I had to use my Yahoo email to sign up for an iCloud account.

This apparently is my Apple ID (example, xxxxxx@yahoo.com) when I want to manage my account.

But my iCloud address (Messages, etc) is xxxx@icloud.com

Now that I have a new Mac and iPad, I am unsure what address and account to use.

Every time I have to pay for something, I must use my Apple ID (example, xxxxxx@yahoo.com).

Do I really have two accounts at Apple or one? I am confused.

Thank you.

Posted on Feb 13, 2020 4:04 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

ckuan

Level 10

120,824 points

Feb 13, 2020 4:12 PM in response to Michael Vallance

Apple create an iCloud address for you to use as an alias to your Apple ID.

Use Apple ID for everything related to Apple (iTunes/Books/App Stores, iMessage/FaceTime, ...)

and use iCloud.com for your secure email communication.

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Answer 2

Eric Root

Level 10

684,855 points

Feb 13, 2020 8:44 PM in response to Michael Vallance

You do not have to have a 3rd party email address as your Apple ID. As the article you posted stated, you can keep your current Apple ID that currently is a Yahoo email address, but change the existing ID so the the associated email address is an iCloud email address. The Yahoo email address will still be associated with the ID, but it won't be your Apple ID email address.

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Answer 3

Feb 13, 2020 4:18 PM in response to ckuan

So my Apple ID is actually a Yahoo ID, and iCloud is an alias to that Yahoo ID. ... which leads to the confusion in me.

I looked at a Support page and it seems I change change my Apple ID from a third party email ID (Yahoo) to my iCloud ID (xxxx@icloud.com)

At https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202667 it states,

If your Apple ID is a third-party email address.

When you change your Apple ID that is a third-party email address, you can use another third-party email address. Or you can use an @icloud.com, @me.com, or @mac.com email address that's already a login alias or alternate Apple ID for your account.

So can I change from yahoo ID to iCloud ID and forever forget about yahoo?

Thank you.

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Answer 4

Eric Root

Level 10

684,855 points

Feb 13, 2020 5:19 PM in response to Michael Vallance

Based on what I have read, I suggest you leave your Apple ID email address as a 3rd party email address because you have more flexibility if you need to change the email address. For example, if the Apple ID got compromised, you can change it to another address. I also have read of many people who were locked out of their accounts when they forgot their password. Since the recovery email address is the @iCloud email address, if you forget your password, you also can't access your email to get emails from Apple to recover your account. You can set a rescue email address, but for some people, this hasn't worked.

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Answer 5

Feb 13, 2020 5:23 PM in response to ckuan

OK... it just seems odd that my Yahoo account is essential for my Apple account. I was hoping to forget all about Yahoo as I no longer use their services.

I was hoping to have everything in Apple's eco-system as it is just so much easier (Family sharing etc) ... except for this oddity.