“This email is already in use with another Apple ID?”

I get the same error message. I suspect the root-cause is the same policy issue.

I just finished speaking with an Apple Support advisor about this error message ”This email is already in use with another Apple ID.” when trying to re-assign a Custom Domain Email Address from one family sharing member to another..

Steps to Reproduce

1. I own a custom domain (foo.com). I successfully added it to my iCloud account for use with Custom Domain Email.
2. I assigned a custom domain email address to myself (bat@foo.com).
3. Then I realized I meant to assign that address to a different family member. My family member is part of my iCloud Family Sharing.
4. I removed the address from my individual iCloud user account.
5. Then I tried adding it to my family members iCloud user account. Adding failed, showing the error message, ”This email is already in use with another Apple ID.”

Apple Support Team (1st & 2nd Attempt)

After two different calls with the front-line support team, which had to be over the phone (having to repeatedly spell the domain name and the custom email address and my icloud email address and the family member’s icloud email address…not fun) I my issue was escalated to a what they called a “senior advisor”.

Senior Apple Support Advisor Explanation

The senior advisor took time to investigate and research the issue for a day and setup a callback time. In the end, they found that the root-cause was an iCloud Policy. To paraphrase:

If a Custom Domain Email Address has been previously assigned to an iCloud user, the Custom Domain Email Address must be deleted and left unused for one (1) year before it can be assigned to another iCloud user. Even if the two iCloud users are members of the same iCloud Family Sharing.

I imagine this policy is meant to prevent some form of abuse.

Wishing won’t help, but…

Having self-hosted my email for a very long time, I was very surprised I couldn’t immediately re-assign the email to a different user.

• I wish the waiting period was shorter, such as 24-hours or worst 30-days.
• I wish the iCloud Custom Domain Email product had much more detailed Apple Support documentation.
• I wish the iCloud Custom Domain Email setup flow had more specific and detailed instructions and warnings to inform users and help avert this type of issue.

Apple hasn’t published any guidance for using an address again. Normally, if your e-mail address was associated with an ID in any way, for example as a Notification email address or a Rescue e-mail address, then it can't be reused with another Apple ID for approximately one year. I have also seen posts that stated Apple told them there was a 30 day waiting period before the address could be used again.  You will need to get another e-mail address to use as your Apple ID or you can try waiting 30 days to see if that works.

I contacted the Apple Support today and got the advice to delete the old Apple ID associated with the emailadress belonging to my domain. But before deletion I changed the e-mail to another e-mail for example gmail-adress so there was no references to my e-mail belonging to my domain.

They asked me then to wait for confirmation of the deletion of the old Apple ID and then try again.

My situation above was resolved by waiting. I deleted the conflicting Apple ID and after about 15 days I could finally claim the email address. I'm using iCloud for my custom domain now and I'm very happy.

As an update, on Dec 1st, everything started working for me. Around November 13th, I changed the old unused Apple-ID from email "A" that I was trying to add to email "B". A week or so later, I deleted that Apple-ID. It took about 10 days to get the email that Apple deleted it. That intersected with Dec 1.

On Dec 1st, I added email "A" to the real Apple-ID I wanted to use but I added it to the "reachable at" first. Then I went to the iCloud settings and everything worked.

It is possible that my steps are a coincidence. For now, it is also possible that Apple cleans up all email addresses at the beginning of the month. I promised to update on Dec 14th but I tried things on Dec 1st and they work.

it would be nice if Apple had a few enhancements:

(1) It would tell you which other Apple-ID is using the email you want

(2) It would tell you how long after deletion or change of email you could use it.

(3) Or find a completely different method to verify the email.

Anyway, I am up and running well now

There have been posts by people who have contacted Apple Support and they were told that if you delete an ID associated with an email address, you can never reuse the email address for an Apple ID.  I have also seen posts that stated Apple told them there was a 30 day waiting period before the address could be used again.You will need to get another e-mail address to use as your Apple ID or you can try waiting 30 days to see if that works.

The email cannot be associated to another Apple ID email for rescue email, additional email, alternate Apple ID, an alias, and it can also not already exist as its own Apple ID account.

If none of the above apply and you are still having issues, contact Apple Support.

Hey there, keithholt.

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities! Thanks for posting about an issue with connecting your Apple ID to a common address. We'd be glad to get you pointed in the right direction.

You've done some great work up to this point in trying to narrow down potential causes. At this juncture, it might be best to Get Support directly from an Apple ID specialist to attain more detailed assistance. You can reach them using the provided link.

Be well.

I will update the thread on Dec 14th to see if the 30 days works. I used Chat to talk to Apple Support and they claimed 30 days. So let's see.

Mario

I am having the same issue. The email address with my own domain was being used as a recovery email. I deleted and still get the same message. When I called support they didn't really have an answer...just try again after 24 hours. That did not work. Guessing this is a feature I can't use until the next possible milestones that others have mentioned of 30 days or 1 year LOL. Probably for the best since it sounds like they haven't worked out the bugs very well.

Same Issue here. Even I completely deleted my apple ID, received a confirmation SMS after 15 days and still get the same error. I called support and they could not give me a solution to the problem. This is something apple needs to consider, how can you not move the dns of your email domain because there is already an apple ID account registered with that email?, it doesn't make any sense.

I am having the same problem.

In my case, the "another Apple ID" is my elderly Mom's unused Apple ID that I setup for her years ago that she doesn't use. I deleted Mom's unused Apple ID last week, but now I still receive the ".. email is already in use ..." error message when I try to move our family's email domain from Google to Apple.

Wait 1 year? I understand needing to delete or update the "another Apple ID", but there should be a better way than waiting 1 year.

I manage and control all of the email addresses I'm adding. I should just be able to prove ownership with verification emails instead of waiting. Hopefully this gets fixed at some point.

I'm having the same problem. Since way back you had different Apple IDs and I change the one connecting to my own domain to another e-mailadress.

Have also checked my Apple IDs both for AppStore and iCloud and can't see may e-mail is registered there.

I agree christopherfromUSA12345 that it should be an easier way to register your e-mail adress whatever xxxx@yourowndomain it is since you're anyway at your domainprovider have to change different information to repoint to icloud. So I can't see any security reasons here.

Best regards

Ove

Sweden

[Personal Information Edited by Moderator]

same issue here, I at some point had tried to use the email as Apple ID, and was told by apple support to delete this old account associated with the email. got the confirmation that deletion was complete and its been weeks since then. still can't set this up.

I am having the same problem. It was an old AppleID that I stopped using 8 years ago. But the email is still correctly used for a lot of thing but not as an AppleID anymore. I went ahead and removed the email from that old AppleID and first, I changed that old AppleID email to a Yahoo email that I don't use. Now I am deleting that old AppleID. I still have the problem that Custom Domain does not allow me to use the email

So I will wait and see. I will update if I get more information