I get this message, "Unable to verify “email@xxx.net” because it is already in use by another Apple ID." what do i do?

I have the very same problem. Upgraded to Lion the other day, and today tried to launch Facetime. When asked to provide my Apple ID, I did so — the same email address that I just used to log in here so I could reply to this post. But Facetime tells me exactly what the original poster reports: can't verify my email address "because it is already in use by another Apple ID." Well, that ID is ME.

So I add my voice to the OP's. Anybody know the answer?

Will Porter

i think y'all using your Apple ID both devices at the same time. Check you iDevices, if Facetime run it, exit the Apple Id you using and it should be working.

Bryan115, thanks for the reply — but I'm afraid I don't follow you.

I have an iMac, an iPad and an iPod touch. I can't configure Facetime on any of them. When I try to do so on either the computer or on the iPad/iPod touch (Settings > Facetime...) I get the same message that the OP quoted — on all three devices. That suggests to me that I'm not using this email address for Facetime purposes on ANY of these devices.

Besides, I've never used Facetime before, so I'm sure I've never set this up.

I don't know what you mean by "exit the Apple ID you [are] using..."

I certainly think this is one of Apple's less helpful error messages.

Will

yeah, that's all I know for me, But it work for me! Wierd!

The more I think about this, the more annoying it gets. The error message says, "Unable to verify me@mydomain.com because it is already in use by another Apple ID."

What does that mean? My example, "me@mydomain.com", *is* an Apple ID. How can an Apple ID be "already in use by another Apple ID"?

Will

try on this post:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3206542?answerId=15738676022#15738676022

for me work very good

Thanks for the suggestion. Tried setting DNS to 8.8.8.8 as suggested in the other thread — but it doesn't make any difference for me. I renewed my DHCP lease, still no difference. I still get the alert that my Apple ID can't be verified because it is use by another ID.

Will

i think y'all using your Apple ID both devices at the same time. Check you iDevices, if Facetime run it, exit the Apple Id you using and it should be working.

This makes no sense. One you're supposed to be able to use the same account across multiple devices whether it is a Mac, iPhone, iPod. This is the entire point of embedding iCloud into the OS.

Second, I only have a single device. An iPad. I am getting the same exact error.

The post suggested above has to do with network connection issues. Not Apple ID problems. So that doesn't seem to help. I'm having the same issued discussed here regarding the message that says my address is in use by another Apple ID. Have had zero luck in resolving this...still hoping for another solution!

I don't know if this applies to the problems experienced by posters, but my issue was sigining in with "xx@mac.com" instead of "xx@me.com". As a MobileMe/iCloud user, my understanding is that these 2 domains are interchangeable, but apparently not. Using the me.com domain and me.com e-mail address for the contact info allowed me to set up FaceTime on MacBook Pro and iPhone (simutaneously). Obviously this only applies to those of you using the .me and .mac domains.

My experience was this. I had a user name that was my email address it was gmail. I had to use the .me address to login to facetime. So my iphone was using the .me for facetime and IM but it was using my current gmail for itunes purchases and that was why i was getting that error. I hope that makes sense.

What I discovered is that any email address that you want to use must not already be associated with an existing appleid. In my case I use my gmail address for purchases, so that email address is not able to be used with FaceTime or messages because it cannot be associated with my main appleid since it is already used for my purchasing appleid.

Work around:

Create a new gmail address.

Go to appleid.apple.com and log in to the appleid that you want to use.

Change that appleid to the new address. This frees up the other one to be used with FaceTime, etc.

I was also getting the same message, I just installed Face Time a few minutes ago. All I did was follow these instructions that I found and it worked.

1) Visit My Apple ID at https://appleid.apple.com/.

2) Log in with your other Apple ID and password.

3) Select the Manage your account link.

4) Choose Name, ID, and Email Address from the left side of the page.

5) Next to Primary Email Address, select Edit so that you can change the email address associated with this Apple ID.

6) Once you've made the desired change, select Save Changes.

7) Choose Sign Out from the top right of the page.

If you would like to have the verification email resent to you, please sign intohttps://appleid.apple.com/ with the Apple ID you want to verify, and make sure there is not a typo in your Primary Email Address. Select the "Edit" link to the right of your email address to make corrections and then click the "Save Changes" button. Once the typo is fixed, or if there is no typo, click the "Resend" link under your email address.

Basicaly you are reverifying your ID, I did not have to change anything.