Why can’t I change my Apple ID username(email) from my Gmail address over to my iCloud email address?? I got mixed up during initial phone setup and have been having a hard time trying to navigate through my (1st)iPhone ever since.
iPhone SE, iOS 14
Note the restrictions in the article.
What to do after you change your Apple ID or password - Apple Support I suggest doing this before you change your Apple ID or password.
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.
Why can’t I change my Apple ID email?
