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when attempting to change my apple ID email address on my three apple devices a message says I cannot do it because the new email that I am trying to use in already in use, and this new one is the one I have been using for many years anyway

I have three apple devices plus the iCloud and I have an old email address that was used in my original apple id probably more then 12 years ago, and over the years i stopped using this address and moved to a gmail address on all my apple devices however I could never take the time to get my apple ID changed to this gmail address, and now I can not make the switch because apple is telling me that this gmail address is already in use, but this is probably mine anyway?? Please help.

my devices: Mac 2012, iPad pro 11", iPhone 11

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Nov 2, 2021 6:00 AM

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Posted on Nov 2, 2021 6:21 AM

"If you see a message that the email address you want to use isn't available or is already in use, check that you or a family member aren't already using that email address with a different Apple ID. If a family member is using that email address, remove it from their account then try to use it." From: https://support.apple.com/HT202667


Apart from the above statement I have yet to find a formal Apple position statement online about re-using email addresses. Many user reports on this forum (I don't have specific reason not to believe them) suggest that contrary to what the statement implies as to ease of address re-use, if you have recently used an email address with Apple for another purpose such as a notification email address it cannot be re-used; at least not immediately and possibly never. I guess you can "try to use it" but many users have claimed this does not work.


About your Apple ID email addresses (was "Manage your Apple ID primary, rescue, alternate, and notification email addresses") --> https://support.apple.com/HT201356

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 2, 2021 6:21 AM in response to fix99-now

"If you see a message that the email address you want to use isn't available or is already in use, check that you or a family member aren't already using that email address with a different Apple ID. If a family member is using that email address, remove it from their account then try to use it." From: https://support.apple.com/HT202667


Apart from the above statement I have yet to find a formal Apple position statement online about re-using email addresses. Many user reports on this forum (I don't have specific reason not to believe them) suggest that contrary to what the statement implies as to ease of address re-use, if you have recently used an email address with Apple for another purpose such as a notification email address it cannot be re-used; at least not immediately and possibly never. I guess you can "try to use it" but many users have claimed this does not work.


About your Apple ID email addresses (was "Manage your Apple ID primary, rescue, alternate, and notification email addresses") --> https://support.apple.com/HT201356

when attempting to change my apple ID email address on my three apple devices a message says I cannot do it because the new email that I am trying to use in already in use, and this new one is the one I have been using for many years anyway

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