New phone asking me to log into my iCloud email but I don't have one

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Level 1

5 points

New phone asking me to log into my iCloud email but I don't have one

Hello,

I recently switched from my old iPhone to a new one, and managed to transfer everything smoothly. However, I've encountered an issue while attempting to download apps such as Netflix and my banking app. I'm prompted to log into my iCloud email, but the catch is, I don't actually have one. I typically log into my iCloud using my regular email, [first name].[last name]@gmail.com, and I've already logged into the Apple ID in the settings with this email.

Oddly enough, it's now insisting that I provide the password for [first name].[last name]@icloud.com in order to download anything further. Despite trying every possible password I can think of, I can't seem to recall ever using or even setting up this email address. I attempted to reset the password by requesting a verification code to my linked phone number, but I hit a roadblock when it required the passcode for my previous iPhone. While I know my passcode, the one it asked for was only 4 numbers, and I've been using a 6-digit passcode for years. Consequently, I'm unable to reset the email password, leaving me at a loss.

In an attempt to troubleshoot, I logged into iCloud on a web browser using my Gmail email, as I usually do. However, it indicated that I hadn't even set up the iCloud email address. Perplexed, I even tried creating the requested iCloud email address, [first name].[last name]@icloud.com, but it informed me that the address wasn't available.

I'm baffled by this situation and unsure of how to proceed. Could you please advise me on why this is happening and how I can resolve it?

Thank you for your assistance!

iPhone X, iOS 12

Posted on Oct 17, 2023 11:27 PM

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Answer 1

rasmus22 Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 18, 2023 5:15 AM in response to Ingo2711

Deleting the apps from the home screen and downloading them again worked - thank you! Still not able to add my credit card to Apple Wallet but this might be a separate issue.

But I'm still a bit confused as to why I have an iCloud email that I can't access or see anywhere that is apparently linked to my Apple ID.

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Answer 2

Ingo2711

Level 10

80,043 points

Oct 18, 2023 4:46 AM in response to rasmus22

The apps are tied to the Apple ID that has been used at the time of the download.

I would try to create a new backup of your old iPhone on the computer and use this backup to set up the new iPhone.

Since the apps are being downloaded again directly from the App Store, each app will be checked for the Apple ID used to buy them.

One option would be to delete apps containing the other Apple ID and download them again, using the correct Apple ID, after the setup is complete.

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Answer 3

Ingo2711

Level 10

80,043 points

Oct 18, 2023 1:42 AM in response to rasmus22

Do you still have a backup of your old iPhone on your computer or iCloud, that you can use to set up your new iPhone?

Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support

Are there any apps installed, that have not been downloaded, using your Apple ID?

Since apps are tied to the Apple ID that has been used to download them, installing these apps again will require the Apple ID and password that has been used back then.

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Answer 4

Ingo2711

Level 10

80,043 points

Oct 18, 2023 12:41 AM in response to rasmus22

Did this new iPhone have a previous owner, that had not disabled the Activation lock?

Activation Lock for iPhone and iPad - Apple Support

Did you try to set it up as a new device after setting it back to factory settings on your computer?

Restore your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to factory settings

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Answer 5

Ingo2711

Level 10

80,043 points

Oct 18, 2023 6:44 AM in response to rasmus22

If you create an Apple ID, you will receive an @iCloud.com Mail address automatically, which can also be used as your primary Apple ID.

You can see which Mail addresses are linked to your Apple ID account, have a look at this article:

Manage and use your Apple ID - Apple Support

And this one, if you want to change your Mail address for your Apple ID by choosing an existing or a new Mail address.

Change your Apple ID - Apple Support

As for Apple Pay, are you getting an error message?

Did you check with your banking institute, if you have to start the process from their side again?

Set up Apple Pay - Apple Support

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Answer 6

rasmus22 Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 18, 2023 1:10 AM in response to Ingo2711

It's actually my girlfriend's old phone (mentioning this in case there's a need to contact the previous owner), but she has already removed this device from her Find My, so this shouldn't be the issue, right?

And yes, I set it up as a new iPhone. I opted to transfer information from another iPhone and then scanned the new phone with the other and did the transfer.

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Answer 7

rasmus22 Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 18, 2023 1:54 AM in response to Ingo2711

Yes, I still have everything on my old phone as I will be using it until I figure out how to get everything onto my new phone.

Surprisingly there are a lot of uninstalled apps currently pending on my new phone that require the @icloud.com email address. But why are some apps downloaded with my @gmail.com email and some with the @icloud.com email? I have only used my Gmail. Is there a way to reset this? I'm not really interested in using the iCloud email.

Are you recommending creating a fresh backup of my old phone, resetting my new iPhone again and creating a new phone from the most recent backup?

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New phone asking me to log into my iCloud email but I don't have one

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