Change Apple ID from third party to an @icloud.com address

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mila87 Author

Level 1

4 points

Change Apple ID from third party to an @icloud.com address

Hello everyone,

i know; it is (unfortunately) still not possible to merge apple ids. But I stumbled across this support site at apple.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202667

So, what am I missing? isn’t this like merging apple ids?

if I change my ****@gmail.com address (which I used for iTunes and now for media and purchases) to my *****@me.com or @icloud.com, wouldn’t I merge these two apple ids?

Or do I have two apple ids with the same e-Mails address but one is still for iCloud and the other one for media and purchases?

If they are not one, but

Two different apple ids, wouldn't be the passwords the only thing that set them apart?

And if so….. if I use the same password for both accounts, could I only sign-in in on of my accounts?

i mean; I have been waiting for years to merge my apple ids now. And that seems like my answer. But right now I am scared to change my ****@gmail.com Apple ID to my ****@icloud.com address because

Note: Once you switch to an Apple domain Apple ID, you can't switch back. So make sure your decision is final.

so that’s why I am scared to test it out. I don’t know if I will ruin my old “iTunes” Apple ID or my “iCloud“ Apple ID. Or that everything is mixed up with my ids and I get a lot of problems.

did anyone went through the process of changing the third party Apple ID to an existing iCloud Apple ID?

thanks in advance and best regards

michele

Posted on Nov 8, 2021 1:52 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Limnos

Level 10

412,957 points

Nov 8, 2021 2:45 PM in response to mila87

It probably means literally what it says. If you just created an icloud.com email address then you have to wait 30 days before you can set it as your Apple ID email address. I have an Apple ID which is a third pary email address. I have no icloud.com email address. If I were to create a mail account now with iCloud, I would have to wait 30 days before I could use it as my Apple ID.

I would avoid using an iCloud email address as your Apple ID because should there be problems logging into your account you run the risk of not being able to read the recovery emails from Apple required to fix the problem. If you still wish to, read the document: Manage your Apple ID primary, rescue, alternate, and notification email addresses - https://support.apple.com/HT201356 - rescue email

Just to make it clear, if you have 2 Apple IDs you can't merge them. If there was an easy workaround (or even a not easy one) then I think those of us who have been here for a decade or more would have heard about it. Merging Apple accounts (IDs) or transferring data is not officially supported, nor can it be done easily or completely.

Apr. 2018 post by ASC helper Winston Churchill on transferring data from one Apple ID to another. https://discussions.apple.com/message/33333380#message33333380

Feb. 2021 tips from Eric Root https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252468781?answerId=254653802022#254653802022

Look into using Family Sharing to continue to be able to use items purchased with one Apple ID with other Apple IDs.

Family Sharing - https://support.apple.com/HT201060

Set up Family Sharing - https://support.apple.com/HT201088

Fortunately when you sign out of one ID and sign in with a different one it asks you in most cases if you wish to retain the data from it on your device. Say yes and then delete individual items you do not want.

Sign out of iCloud on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, or Mac --> https://support.apple.com/HT208242

If another Apple ID is signed in you may need to enter the password for that ID to sign out of that ID first.

Click on this link to learn how to 'Sign in with your Apple ID' --> https://support.apple.com/HT204053

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Answer 2

Limnos

Level 10

412,957 points

Nov 8, 2021 1:56 PM in response to mila87

Apple won't let you use an email address it has already seen used with its system.

Please click on the links and read the documents -->

Change your Apple ID - https://support.apple.com/HT202667 - "Follow these steps to change the email address that you use as your Apple ID."

"After you change your Apple ID email address or password, you might need to update your sign-in information with any Apple services you're using" Click on this link to read "What to do after [or before] you change your Apple ID email address or password" --> https://support.apple.com/HT204071

- You may wish to disable Settings > Find My before changing your information, change the information, then reactivate it with the new information.

There's special instructions if you want to change your Apple ID to an @icloud.com address.

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Answer 3

mila87 Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 8, 2021 2:30 PM in response to Limnos

Hi Limnos,

thanks for your fast reply. But why do they say:

”If you're trying 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.”

doesn that mean, that I need to create the @icloud.com address before? And for this reason the ID is seen before within apple’s system?

or do you think I just get an error message that I can’t change to my ****@icloud.com address?

i mean; I am just scared of what will happen if I click the change button and I mess up my semi good Apple ID system (semi good, because I have to use two apple ids)

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Change Apple ID from third party to an @icloud.com address

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