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Apple ID - Primary and Alternative

Hello Guys. I activated my iPhone X using a @gmail account, so now that is my Apple ID. The problem is that I want to change it with a @icloud account. I created a mail @icloud, and it was made “Alternative” to my Primary Apple ID. The question is how can I change them? I want the @icloud to be the Primary and the @gmail to be the alternative or to be deleted altogether. Please help me and excuse my bad english.

iPhone X, iOS 14

Posted on Sep 21, 2020 4:38 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 21, 2020 5:29 PM

Well as I mentioned, if you promote the @icloud.com address to the primary email login address you can never change it to anything else again. So that is the first part of that warning.


The other part relates to a restriction that if the iCloud account was created with that third party gmail AppleID less than 30 days ago, you have to wait before you can change it to the iCloud email as primary -> Change your Apple ID - Apple Support


If you can't change your Apple ID

If you try to change your Apple ID to an @icloud.com email address that was created within the last 30 days, you will be asked to try again later.”


So you’ll need to wait until 30 days from creating that iCloud account has passed, but then should be able to make that change.

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 21, 2020 5:29 PM in response to MichaelStvv

Well as I mentioned, if you promote the @icloud.com address to the primary email login address you can never change it to anything else again. So that is the first part of that warning.


The other part relates to a restriction that if the iCloud account was created with that third party gmail AppleID less than 30 days ago, you have to wait before you can change it to the iCloud email as primary -> Change your Apple ID - Apple Support


If you can't change your Apple ID

If you try to change your Apple ID to an @icloud.com email address that was created within the last 30 days, you will be asked to try again later.”


So you’ll need to wait until 30 days from creating that iCloud account has passed, but then should be able to make that change.

Sep 21, 2020 4:43 PM in response to MichaelStvv

There is really no reason to change them, although you can if you want to -> Change your Apple ID - Apple Support


But since BOTH your @gmail.com AND your @icloud.com email addresses are simply alternate login IDs to the same AppleID, just use whichever one you wish to use.


If you do move the primary email to the iCloud address, you will never be able to change it to any alternate email address afterwards. And you won’t be able to use the gmail address as a backup contact since it was used as an AppleID already.

Apple ID - Primary and Alternative

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