Hi I’m want to change my Apple ID email, to one that already listed as my alternatives. If I remove the alternative email and then replace it with my main ID email, will it effect anything??
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 12.7
Changing email address properly won't affect anything. What you may find is that Apple may not let you use an email address it has seen you use before.
The support article Change your Apple ID - Apple Support outlines various methods for changing the email address (Apple ID) you use for your Apple Account while retaining everything in your account:
- If you don’t have an iPhone or iPad the support article says to, “go to https://appleid.apple.com and sign in. Then follow the onscreen instructions to change the email address associated with your Apple ID.”
- For general information, and other issues such as changes or addresses not being accepted.
- Note a recent change to the article where you can now change the email address without having to have access to your old email account.
Unfortunately Apple does not have a clear position statement about when you can re-use an email address you have used with Apple before.
From: Change your Apple ID - Apple Support
“Keep in mind that you can't use an email address that's already in use by another Apple ID.”
"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."
Although this next section discusses email address re-use in the context of deleting an account, it supports observations frequently posted on this forum about never being able to re-use an email address as an Apple ID once used previously as an Apple ID:
From: How to delete your Apple ID account - Apple Support
"Can I use the primary email address for my deleted Apple ID account to create a new Apple ID or with another existing Apple ID account?
No, once your Apple ID is deleted, you can't use the email address that you used with it to create a new Apple ID. In addition, you can't use that email address with another existing Apple ID except as a rescue [notification] email. Also, if your primary Apple ID email address is with a Custom Email Domain, it can never be reused to create an Apple ID after your Apple ID is deleted, even if the domain ownership changes."
* I take that to mean you can use the address as a notification address, but the reverse -using a notification email address as an Apple ID- is not possible.
Changing email address properly won't affect anything. What you may find is that Apple may not let you use an email address it has seen you use before.
The support article Change your Apple ID - Apple Support outlines various methods for changing the email address (Apple ID) you use for your Apple Account while retaining everything in your account:
- If you don’t have an iPhone or iPad the support article says to, “go to https://appleid.apple.com and sign in. Then follow the onscreen instructions to change the email address associated with your Apple ID.”
- For general information, and other issues such as changes or addresses not being accepted.
- Note a recent change to the article where you can now change the email address without having to have access to your old email account.
Unfortunately Apple does not have a clear position statement about when you can re-use an email address you have used with Apple before.
From: Change your Apple ID - Apple Support
“Keep in mind that you can't use an email address that's already in use by another Apple ID.”
"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."
Although this next section discusses email address re-use in the context of deleting an account, it supports observations frequently posted on this forum about never being able to re-use an email address as an Apple ID once used previously as an Apple ID:
From: How to delete your Apple ID account - Apple Support
"Can I use the primary email address for my deleted Apple ID account to create a new Apple ID or with another existing Apple ID account?
No, once your Apple ID is deleted, you can't use the email address that you used with it to create a new Apple ID. In addition, you can't use that email address with another existing Apple ID except as a rescue [notification] email. Also, if your primary Apple ID email address is with a Custom Email Domain, it can never be reused to create an Apple ID after your Apple ID is deleted, even if the domain ownership changes."
* I take that to mean you can use the address as a notification address, but the reverse -using a notification email address as an Apple ID- is not possible.
How do I change Apple ID email?
