My apple ID and my Apple Account (for when I purchase products "one to one") are both different emails. I would go into the apple store and they would say it's not the apple ID they wanted, they wanted the account email. I have found this very confusing over the years. How can I merge them into one? I would like everything under my apple ID. hope this makes sense!
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
iPhone 15 Pro Max, iOS 18
This is a long post but it has the various steps and considerations for dong the best you can at merging them.
Apple has no formal account merging or transferring process. The things below will help you in doing ongoing or one-time transfer of as much as possible from one account to the other, but some things can never be transferred (namely purchases), only shared.
You can use various iCloud sharing features for some ongoing data sharing.
Share folders with iCloud Drive --> Share files and folders in iCloud Drive on iCloud.com - Apple Support
Read How to use Shared Albums in Photos on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Apple Support about how to share photos.
Sharing music playlists —> How to share an Apple Music playlist on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
Apps and media downloaded with one Apple account are permanently associated with that account. Look into using Family Sharing to continue to be able to use items purchased with one Apple account with other Apple accounts, and for some data sharing features.
- Family Sharing - What is Family Sharing? - Apple Support
- Set up Family Sharing - Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support
The next section may sound tricky but it lets you merge some things on a device where you have already signed in with an old account but want to use a new account and incorporate data that is already on the device from the old account. Incidentally, the data will then propagate to other devices using iCloud with that new account. (I haven't tried this with a computer but it may also work with a computer account signed into an old account.)
If you have signed into the first Apple account on a device then fortunately when you sign out of that account it asks you if you wish to retain the data from the old account on your device (toggle the ones you want to on). If you keep data on the device then when you sign in with the other account it will merge this data with the account signing into the device. You can later delete individual items from the old account that you do not want. Similar information can be found in this post: I have 2 apple IDs i want to merge them h… - Apple Community , and a step-by-step in this User Tip: How to “unshare” an Apple ID - Apple Community . Note that only content physically present on the device such as contacts, photos and videos will be retained. Meta data such as a game play scores that are tied to a specific account or are only on a vendor's Apple Account-specific database remotely will not be retained. Also turn off storage optimization before doing this. With Optimize Storage, smaller, space-saving photos and videos are kept on your device while all of your original, full-resolution versions are stored in iCloud. Make sure photo optimization is turned off so the full quality versions from the old account are actually on the device before merging the content into your new account. Manage your photo and video storage - Apple Support You can turn optimization back on again once you are fully using your new account on the device.
Even though apps may remain on a device and may work for a while, you will not be able to update them or redownload them unless you buy them again with this account or download them with this account using Family Sharing.
Sign out of iCloud on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, or Mac --> Sign out of iCloud on your devices - Apple Support
If this involves a device changing ownership, the person should also change the ID set in Find My. Turn off Find My on your devices and items - Apple Support
If another Apple account is signed in you may need to enter the password for that account to sign out of that account first.
Click on this link to learn how to 'Sign in with your Apple ID' --> https://support.apple.com/HT204053
This is a long post but it has the various steps and considerations for dong the best you can at merging them.
Apple has no formal account merging or transferring process. The things below will help you in doing ongoing or one-time transfer of as much as possible from one account to the other, but some things can never be transferred (namely purchases), only shared.
You can use various iCloud sharing features for some ongoing data sharing.
Share folders with iCloud Drive --> Share files and folders in iCloud Drive on iCloud.com - Apple Support
Read How to use Shared Albums in Photos on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Apple Support about how to share photos.
Sharing music playlists —> How to share an Apple Music playlist on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
Apps and media downloaded with one Apple account are permanently associated with that account. Look into using Family Sharing to continue to be able to use items purchased with one Apple account with other Apple accounts, and for some data sharing features.
- Family Sharing - What is Family Sharing? - Apple Support
- Set up Family Sharing - Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support
The next section may sound tricky but it lets you merge some things on a device where you have already signed in with an old account but want to use a new account and incorporate data that is already on the device from the old account. Incidentally, the data will then propagate to other devices using iCloud with that new account. (I haven't tried this with a computer but it may also work with a computer account signed into an old account.)
If you have signed into the first Apple account on a device then fortunately when you sign out of that account it asks you if you wish to retain the data from the old account on your device (toggle the ones you want to on). If you keep data on the device then when you sign in with the other account it will merge this data with the account signing into the device. You can later delete individual items from the old account that you do not want. Similar information can be found in this post: I have 2 apple IDs i want to merge them h… - Apple Community , and a step-by-step in this User Tip: How to “unshare” an Apple ID - Apple Community . Note that only content physically present on the device such as contacts, photos and videos will be retained. Meta data such as a game play scores that are tied to a specific account or are only on a vendor's Apple Account-specific database remotely will not be retained. Also turn off storage optimization before doing this. With Optimize Storage, smaller, space-saving photos and videos are kept on your device while all of your original, full-resolution versions are stored in iCloud. Make sure photo optimization is turned off so the full quality versions from the old account are actually on the device before merging the content into your new account. Manage your photo and video storage - Apple Support You can turn optimization back on again once you are fully using your new account on the device.
Even though apps may remain on a device and may work for a while, you will not be able to update them or redownload them unless you buy them again with this account or download them with this account using Family Sharing.
Sign out of iCloud on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, or Mac --> Sign out of iCloud on your devices - Apple Support
If this involves a device changing ownership, the person should also change the ID set in Find My. Turn off Find My on your devices and items - Apple Support
If another Apple account is signed in you may need to enter the password for that account to sign out of that account first.
Click on this link to learn how to 'Sign in with your Apple ID' --> https://support.apple.com/HT204053
It is possible to have one Apple Account for signing into a device and for most purposes, and a second one just for app and media purchases. Is this what you mean? If it is, you actually have two Apple Accounts. In the support article: If you subscribe to Apple One and use a different Apple ID for iCloud - Apple Support Apple alludes to using a different Apple ID just for media, subscriptions, and purchases, but doesn't describe how to do this. See if these work:
In iOS/iPadOS: Go to Settings > [your Apple ID] > Media & Purchases. Sign out of the current ID and sign in with a different one.
In Ventura or later: First, quit Settings. Then, in App Store, choose “Sign Out” in the Store menu, then click on the “sign in” button that appears in the main window. You can then sign into the other account. (from: Using different Apple ID for media & purc… - Apple Community )
Note that any purchases made with one account remain permanently tied to that account. If you are switching from using two accounts to a single account you will either need to repurchase everything with the primary account, or you will have to set up Family Sharing with your old account. To learn how to set up Family Sharing, read this support article --> Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support
By "Apple email" do you mean one @icloud.com or me.com?
Basically it sounds like you want to merge your accounts. This is not at all easy, nor 100% successful. It will also be a lengthy process describing how to do this over this interface.
To avoid getting those requests for a different Apple ID (= email address used as the identifier) you will have to have all your apps downloaded from a single account. You will have to delete all your apps and download them again with your current account. This may entail some data loss. What gets lost depends upon what is stored and how it is stored. I can't tell you outright. You will also have to resubscribe to any subscriptions that are not under your current account. You may be able to use Family Sharing between your two accounts so if you did buy an app with the old account you can download it again under the new account without having to pay for it again. Read about that in: Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support
You could go into an Apple Store Genius bar and ask for help with this. Depending upon the person you get they will either spend the time with you, or they may just give you the by-the-book response which is "account merging is not possible". Well, it isn't 100%, buy maybe you would be content with 80%. You might have to keep on trying different people. ;-)
Hi Limnos,
I don't remember all the details as it was so many years back - but I remember at the apple store they required an email to get everything shipped to me and my account was set up under that for when I purchased my first mac and iphone. It was not an apple email. So then when I then set up mac an phone I got an apple email which I used for all my apps etc. But for some reason there have been times I'm asked for the non apple one that I purchased things under. On my password saver the non apple one is saved for an apple website. onetoone.apple.com where the apple ID one is tied to idmsa.apple.com. I would like to get rid of the non apple email. and use my apple ID for both. Both accounts are tied to me. I'm so confused by it all and want to have everything one email.
"By Apple email do you mean one @icloud.com or me.com?" Yes! Exactly that. I would like to merge them. I don't think I have any apps under the non apple email. Why I don't know why it's important for me to keep it. I don't live near an apple store. But I do go to NYC a few times a year. I'll have to make sure I pop into the Genius Bar when I am there next. That might be my best bet as you suggested. Thank you!
Thank you so much for taking the time with all this. I need to do some homework before and if I attempt this. Need to see if I have anything that I don't want to lose under the 1st email. I don't think I do but need to make sure! Thank you again for all this!
Can my two Apple Account be Merged to on Apple Account?
