Change icloud alias to non-alias and use that as AppleID

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Change icloud alias to non-alias and use that as AppleID

"You can only add the @icloud.com address… - Apple Community

Ref error: "You can only add the @icloud.com address that is already on file in your account."

I get the above error when trying to change my appleID to an @icloud.com alias, which is "on file in my account" but as an alias. The previous discussion "says you cannot use an iCloud email alias as the primary AppleID email." This seems to imply that there is an icloud.com email address "on file" that is not an alias. Okay, so how do I replace that non-alias icloud.com address "on file", with the my alias icloud.com "on file" so that it is no longer an alias, and instead is the email that can then be used as my AppleID.

Posted on Sep 10, 2022 12:21 PM

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Answer 1

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Eric Root

Level 10

684,105 points

Sep 10, 2022 1:32 PM in response to ga7pilot

You are welcome.

You can't change the primary iCloud account address.

You can't use an alias created after you set up your Apple ID as your Apple ID email address. You can't make an alias the primary iCloud email address.

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.

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Answer 2

Eric Root

Level 10

684,105 points

Sep 10, 2022 12:26 PM in response to ga7pilot

You can't change/remove @iCloud.com, @me.com or @mac.com addresses unless it is an alias you created after the Apple ID was set up.

iCloud: About your @icloud.com, @me.com, and @mac.com email addresses. *

iCloud - Create or change email aliases. -

Apple ID email addresses. *

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Answer 3

ga7pilot Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 10, 2022 1:35 PM in response to Eric Root

Reworded: How do I change the primary iCloud Mail address that was set up on my account?

Thank you for the articles. Although they don't completely answer the question, at least they helped me get my terminology straight so that I can ask it differently. There is a primary @icloud.com mail address on my iCloud account, which is what I want to change. In addition, there is an @icloud.com email alias on my iCloud.com, which I created a long time ago, but after I set up my Apple ID, and which is the one I now want to use as the primary @icloud.com mail address on my iCloud account, and then use it for my Apple ID. What is the process for accomplishing this without losing my information? Whew!

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Answer 4

ga7pilot Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 10, 2022 1:45 PM in response to Eric Root

Good point. I'll rethink it.

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Change icloud alias to non-alias and use that as AppleID

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