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How do I change my Apple Account on iPhone 15?

I am currently struggling with my current Apple ID email address I’m being spammed and I’d like to know how to change it to a new Apple ID



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 15, iOS 18

Posted on Nov 6, 2024 8:23 PM

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Posted on Nov 7, 2024 3:56 PM

Appears to be a very recent change with iOS 18.1 only, not on a Mac or on the web. Also still some old documentation apparently -->


Create a primary email address for iCloud Mail - Apple Support

Note: You can’t rename your primary iCloud Mail email address later. If you change your mind, you can add an email alias instead.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 7, 2024 3:56 PM in response to 8pl

Appears to be a very recent change with iOS 18.1 only, not on a Mac or on the web. Also still some old documentation apparently -->


Create a primary email address for iCloud Mail - Apple Support

Note: You can’t rename your primary iCloud Mail email address later. If you change your mind, you can add an email alias instead.

Nov 7, 2024 3:30 AM in response to cheyene196

Your question is unclear and could have multiple interpretations. If what you mean is your @icloud.com address is being spammed, you cannot change the primary address. Use mail filters to try to deal with this. Read: Report and reduce spam in iCloud Mail - Apple Support and Set up rules to filter email in Mail on iCloud.com - Apple Support


You may be interested in this service: Add and manage email aliases for iCloud Mail on iCloud.com - Add and manage email aliases for iCloud Mail on iCloud.com - Apple Support - "An email alias is an email address that conceals your actual email address from a recipient. An alias can help you manage the email you receive, and monitor the sources of unwanted messages. You can both send and receive email from an email alias using Mail on iCloud.com.


If you are using your iCloud address as your Apple ID, you can change to a different ID email address. In fact I would recommend you not use your @icloud address as your Apple ID email address. If you have problems getting into your account, Apple will be sending you help emails to the account where you cannot read them. See Change your Apple Account primary email address - Apple Support


Nov 7, 2024 4:19 AM in response to 8pl

I think you are confusing the email address used as an Apple ID (the email address you use when you sign in) and an iCloud Mail address, i.e. @icloud.com This is made more complicated—and we don't know what is going on here— by the fact that Apple lets you use an iCloud mail address as an Apple ID.


I quote from Add and manage email aliases for iCloud Mail on iCloud.com - Apple Support

"You can’t delete or turn off a primary iCloud Mail address. You can’t use an alias to create a separate Apple Account email address, and an email alias can’t be converted to a primary iCloud Mail address."


In other words, if when you set up your iCloud mail address, it is permanently set to that address. If you choose a username @iCloud.com, you cannot later change it. You can use aliases instead. You can even eventually use username@iCloud.com as your Apple ID and you can change that for a different email account, but that that is a completely different thing and isn't doing anything about receiving spam at the address.


So if the user is getting spam at a particular iCloud address that is their primary (not an alias) address, the only solution is to either never use the email service, or to try to use rules or others things suggested by Apple to stop getting it.


It's like if you are using an account with any third party service. If you have a Gmail account and you want to change the bit before @gmail.com, you have to create a completely new account. At least Apple lets you try to hide your main @icloud.com address using aliases.


Nov 8, 2024 1:21 AM in response to Limnos

  • Exactly this is what I couldn't remember, thx.
  • Articles concerning discussed topic (changes in 18.1) are quite new indeed - from September and October.
  • Apple provides interface for some iCloud configurations through iOS directly and through web for macOS (e.g. for Mail or Custom Domain macOS forwards to web interface). It looks like for now only iOS configuration interface has changed. Web interface seems unchanged. Strange indeed.



Nov 7, 2024 4:53 AM in response to Limnos

Actually what I'm describing is REAL use case. I had iCloud Mail configuration like:

primary email: <hatedusername>@icloud.com (also used as Apple Account id)

alisas email: <likedusername>@icloud.com


I replaced primary address with alias username using procedure described here (documentation from Sep 16, 2024). In result I have <likedusername>@icloud.com as primary login for Apple Account and primary e-mail address for iCloud Mail service. <hatedusername>@icloud.com which was primary e-mail address is gone (hopefully forever) - it doesn't exist neither in Apple Account settings nor in iCloud Mail settings.


I think that Apple created new documentation, but did not update existing docs (it's always hard task to review all existing arcitcles and identify outdated info).


In my opinion this document is such case. I did exactly what is claimed as undoable there. I saw more outdated information in old documents (can't remember them now unfortunately).

Nov 7, 2024 3:46 AM in response to Limnos


Limnos wrote:

..... f what you mean is your @icloud.com address is being spammed, you cannot change the primary address. ...

I don't understand this part. When you change Apple Account's primary email address to e.g. alias, it's automatically changed in Mail service (e.g. alias becomes primary e-mail address there).

My understanding of the problem is that iCloud.com email address currently used as primary Apple Account id is spammed and OP would like to replace email address with different one (and most probably remove current one entirely). It's easy doable in 18.1+.

How do I change my Apple Account on iPhone 15?

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