How can I update my apps after email change?

Question

How can I update my apps after email change?

Hello,

I lost my hotmail account so I have to change my email address associated with my mac ID. I now cannot update any of my apps!

I've tried everything but it comes down to the fact that I can see the apps as past purchases in my account history but I can't actually see them as purchased apps for downlaning or updating.

I don't think it's fair that I should have to buy them again just because I needed to change my email address.

Is there anything I can do in the meantime?

thanks

Jo

iBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Aug 19, 2011 10:42 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 19, 2011 10:55 PM in response to joannefromwelwyn garden city

Try resetting your Apple ID password:

Apple - My Apple ID

You can avoid having to purchase your apps if you create a backup > Mac App Store: Backing up your app purchases

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Answer 2

Aug 19, 2011 11:00 PM in response to Carolyn Samit

Hello,

Thanks for replying!

I have tried resetting my password and that doesn't work.

The apps are part of my purchase history but are completely associated with my now defunct email address.

Is there someone i can contact who can go into my account and sort this out?

I have struggled to find anywhere where I can get in contact with an apple employee.

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Answer 3

Aug 19, 2011 11:29 PM in response to joannefromwelwyn garden city

So sorry that didn't work.

You can use the email form here > Mac App Store - Contact Support

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Answer 4

Dah•veed

Level 9

64,729 points

Aug 20, 2011 9:44 AM in response to joannefromwelwyn garden city

Sort me out because I am confused here. Apps are not tied to an email address. Apps are tied to an Apple ID. Was your original Apple ID your actual Hotmail address? Have you created a new Apple ID from a new email address?

If so, that was not the correct approach to take. You cannot get Apple to combine Apple IDs, hundreds have tried. What you should do is abandon this new Apple ID and return to the old one that is a Hotmail address. All that you must do to continue to use the old Apple ID is go into the Apple ID maintenance website and change the actual email address associated with this Apple ID to your new email address.

My Apple ID is an old dead mac.com email address, but the email address associated with my Apple ID is my current gmail address.

Manage your Apple ID here;

https://appleid.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MyAppleId.woa/

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Answer 5

catalan

Level 1

6 points

Sep 8, 2011 4:25 AM in response to Dah•veed

Aha! That's the first clear explanation I ever read.

This is how I understsand it:

Even if an "Apple ID" has *the form* of an e-mail address, this is actually a kind of "user name", and it can be associated with any e-mail address you like, and this one can be changed. So, in the case of joannefromwelwyn garden city, you would log in with the now defunct e-mail address, which is still your "Apple ID", but change the e-mail address in her profile so that e-mails go to the right place.

I would be grateful if you confirm this interpretation is right. My case is very similar and this will help me. Thanks in advance.

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Answer 6

Dah•veed

Level 9

64,729 points

Sep 8, 2011 7:13 AM in response to catalan

You have understood me well, and so I confirm that you got it. 😉

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Answer 7

catalan

Level 1

6 points

Sep 8, 2011 8:07 AM in response to Dah•veed

Thanks again !!!

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Answer 8

Sep 9, 2011 11:33 PM in response to joannefromwelwyn garden city

Hello,

I got in contact with the apple people and this worked for me:

I understand that you had changed your email address and after that you were unable to update your applications on your iPhone that you purchased with old email address. I realize your eagerness regarding this and I am happy to help you with this.

Please try the steps below to sign into your account on your device. Be sure you have the latest iOS software before attempting to follow these steps. This article will walk you through updating your iOS device.

Backing up, updating, and restoring your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch software

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414

To find out if your device is compatible with the newest update, see if it is listed among the compatible devices at the bottom of this page:

http://www.apple.com/ios/

The following article can help if you are not sure which model your device is:

Identifying iPhone models

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3939

Once you know you have the latest software for your device, follow these steps to sign in:

1) Verify that you have access to the internet from your iOS device via EDGE, 3G, or Wi-Fi.

2) On your iOS device, tap the Settings icon on your Home screen.

3) Scroll down and tap the Store icon.

4) The Apple ID you are signed in with will appear on the next screen. If you aren't signed in, you'll see a Sign In button.

5) If you are already signed in to an account and the Apple ID that appears is different from the account you'd like to be signed in with, tap the Apple ID button then tap the Sign Out button that appears.

6) Once you are signed out, the Sign In button will appear. Tap it.

7) Now, tap the Use Existing Apple ID button.

8) Enter your Apple ID and your password in their respective fields, then tap OK to sign into your account.

If you sign in successfully, your Apple ID will appear in the Apple ID button at the top of the Store screen. You can press the Home button to return to your home screen once you know are signed in. You can then tap the iTunes, iBooks, or App Store icons to browse the stores on your device.

If you no longer have the password for your account, you can simply reset it from any computer via Apple's iForgot website at:

http://iforgot.apple.com

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Answer 9

catalan

Level 1

6 points

Sep 10, 2011 8:12 AM in response to catalan

Well, I tried to change my Apple ID and I realized things are not exactly like you described. It seems that, for general users, the Apple ID is the primary e-mail address, and if you attempt to change it you change both. That's what happend to me when I tried. There is a single box for both, called "Apple ID and Primary Email Address".

It seems that for Apple IDs coming from MobileMe and mac.com accounts, things are different: for these the ID cannot be changed and only the e-mail address can, so it appears in a separate box; since it seems that was your case, I presume you generalized your experience...

To make things worse, the page Frequently Asked Questions About Apple ID <http://support.apple.com/kb/HE37> takes you, on this topic, to the help page How to Change Your Apple ID <http://support.apple.com/kb/HE40> which shows an example where the Apple ID and the primary e-mail address are on different boxes. This is either outdated or corresponds precisely to the mentioned special cases.

It seems that one can change one's own Apple ID (except in the mentioned cases). What I did not find any FAQ on, is what happens when I change my Apple ID: Is everything at Apple transferred to the new ID ? By everything I mean: Apple Care history and present agreements, list of registered machines, discussions, notifications, Mac App Store purchases and updates, etc. etc. Not a single word on this in the FAQs.

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Answer 10

Dah•veed

Level 9

64,729 points

Sep 10, 2011 8:25 AM in response to catalan

since it seems that was your case, I presume you generalized your experience...

Until a user, such as you, comes along and states that the situation is different in regard to them, I do not think that a user would know differently. I can only tell you how it works for me when I go to managing the Apple ID, which is also what the Apple Knowledge Base articles confirm. The common person would assume that it should work the same for others.

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Answer 11

catalan

Level 1

6 points

Sep 10, 2011 3:17 PM in response to Dah•veed

Sorry if I sounded unpolite; it wasn't certainly my aim! (English is not my first language, this adds a difficulty in finding the correct tone.) The fact is that your previous posts sounded so authoritative that I thought you were not just a common user and you were speaking from more than your personal experience; this time the Apple Knowledge Base failed us as well. Anyway, I think we both have learned something in the process... Thank you very much for your help!

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