Want to change my Apple Account email. I retired and need to change it to current email The primary is my old work email. When I follow steps given it tells me that my current email cannot be used
Windows, Windows 11 (26200)
Hello retiredcoachTC,
Email addresses can only be associated with one Apple Account. For example, I cannot have my Gmail address in both my primary and secondary Apple Accounts. If it tells you that the new address cannot be added to the account, you might have an Apple Account made with it already. You can visit https://iforgot.apple.com, tap reset password, and enter your new email address. If an account exists that is associated with it, it will send you an email to reset that account password.
Note that you must first add a new email address to the account, assign it as the primary address, and then remove the old address.
i hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Captain
These two support articles provide information about changing an email address on an account and issues you may encounter. I find them to be a bit bewildering as to which kind of addresses you can use for what and when. The bottom line is if you are being told you cannot use an email address then you have to use a different one which preferably Apple has never seen before as either a primary or rescue email address. You or somebody else may have used that address with Apple previously in some context and they won't let you use it again immediately.
Change your Apple Account primary email address - Apple Support
How to delete your Apple Account - Apple Support
Unable to change Apple Account primary email to new address
