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User profile for user: Pecos Bill
Pecos Bill Author
User level: Level 1
76 points

"Problem Turning On Mail" when creating an email address for iCloud Mail (for custom domain)

Pertaining to a prior, closed question, one step listed is to sign out of your AppleID and back in which is a PITA and time consuming. It's not needed


Not sure if this applies for all cases but I was trying to turn on iCloud Mail for my Apple ID which has a gmail.com address. I used to use two Apple IDs but stopped using the iCloud one so I could use Family Sharing. So the gmail-based Apple ID account didn't have the required primary iCloud account for Custom Domains and one of the steps is to make one. When I entered a new iCloud email address, an error appeared:

"Problem Turning On Mail
There was a problem turning on your email, try again
OK"


Trying again was pointless. Solution below.

Posted on May 8, 2022 7:09 AM

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User profile for user: Pecos Bill
Pecos Bill Author
User level: Level 1
76 points

Posted on May 8, 2022 7:19 AM

Note, my setup has the aforementioned gmail AppleID but ALSO has iCloud signed in to the other AppleID. The solution suggested by zinacef was unrelated as it's only true if the domain of the Apple ID is iCloud.


user7284's solution that can work is shown but painful. First, go into Mail and change the description for the iCloud account and see if that does it. If not, the simple solution is to create a new, temporary account on a Mac (borrow one if needed). Sign into your Apple ID and try it there. (Might even work on Windows with the Apple software installed.)


In my case, my setup has the aforementioned gmail AppleID but ALSO has iCloud signed in to my old AppleID for just iCloud mail. This new solution on the temp account didn't know about that account so it allowed me to turn on a new primary account with the new name. I reopened Mail and it appeared alongside my old one. I logged out of the temp account and reopened Mail on my main account and everything is now happy.

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User profile for user: Pecos Bill
Pecos Bill Author
User level: Level 1
76 points

May 8, 2022 7:19 AM in response to Pecos Bill

Note, my setup has the aforementioned gmail AppleID but ALSO has iCloud signed in to the other AppleID. The solution suggested by zinacef was unrelated as it's only true if the domain of the Apple ID is iCloud.


user7284's solution that can work is shown but painful. First, go into Mail and change the description for the iCloud account and see if that does it. If not, the simple solution is to create a new, temporary account on a Mac (borrow one if needed). Sign into your Apple ID and try it there. (Might even work on Windows with the Apple software installed.)


In my case, my setup has the aforementioned gmail AppleID but ALSO has iCloud signed in to my old AppleID for just iCloud mail. This new solution on the temp account didn't know about that account so it allowed me to turn on a new primary account with the new name. I reopened Mail and it appeared alongside my old one. I logged out of the temp account and reopened Mail on my main account and everything is now happy.

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"Problem Turning On Mail" when creating an email address for iCloud Mail (for custom domain)

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