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How can I change my primary Apple ID email to my new iCloud @me address?

I just updated to iOS 5 on my iPod touch and signed up for iCloud. I have a new @me email address. I want to make it the primary email address for my Apple ID, but when I type it into the "Apple ID and Primary Email Address" field, it tells me that I cannot use a MobileMe account for my Apple ID. It is not a MobileMe account, and I have never had MobileMe. I know that the email works with my Apple ID, since I can log into my account with it. How can I make it the primary email address?

Posted on Oct 14, 2011 2:05 PM

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29 replies

Feb 29, 2012 8:54 AM in response to bryan161

The same worked for me bryan161. My primary email is now my @me.com address. Although appleid.apple.com is now asking me to make my primary email and AppleID the same, the only option in the dropdown is my original email adress, not @me.com. I'm ok with this for now, as I can still use the @me.com address as my AppleID, as it brings me into the same account.

Mar 5, 2012 10:08 AM in response to bryan161

Thanks, bryan161. I have struggled with this for two days. I now have my ****@me.com address as the primary. I still cannot change the Apple ID to that address, but this is a huge improvement. I cannot change my Apple ID without effing up my iCloud accounts, so that is still an issue. I just need deal with the fact that the apple ID is not necessarily an email address (at least mine is not any more which is why I wanted the change), it is simply a username.

Mar 5, 2012 10:22 AM in response to skwinsd

You cannot change an existing AppleID to your @me.com because the moment you created your @me.com address (when setting up iCloud), that email address ALSO became an AppleID - that is by design, all iCloud account emails are AppleIDs. Since an AppleID is nothing more than an email address, you cannot use one active AppleID (your @me.com) to replace another active AppleID. You also cannot merge AppleIDs, so that is not an option either.


You will never be able to replace an existing AppleID (=email address) with another active AppleID(=xxx@me.com).


At the Manage My AppleID site - https://appleid.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MyAppleId.woa/ you can update an existing AppleID to a new email, as long as that email address is not already registered as an AppleID (which all iCloud, mobileme, and dot-mac addresses have always automatically been). So if you have a current AppleID that is a non-functional email, you can change that one to another email address and, as long as you do it through the web site, your purchases made with that ID will remain intact.

Mar 5, 2012 10:45 AM in response to Michael Black

Right, Michael, I understand my @me.com address is an Apple ID. It is what I use to log in, etc. My concern was that my original email address (=apple id), is no longer valid. I simply wanted to get rid of it. Yes, I can change the Apple ID/email address to something different at the link you provided (and not to the @me.com address), but it does not change any of my associated iCloud accounts without me basically deleting them and then rebuilding them. It's a bit confusing really, so I'm leaving it as is.... happy with the fact that I have now successfully changed my primary email to the @me.com address.

Apr 2, 2012 2:34 PM in response to Panther8

As someone who has just moved across from the world of PCs I find it quite astonishing how great the contrast is between much of what Apple does and then something as basic as this doesnt work and there is no sign of a fix.

i too have now got a @me.com email address and obviously would like to try to tie everything together ....and yet I now have three accounts and three email addresses, one of which logs me in with another and one of which I no longer even use but which is a set as Primary. DAFT

Jul 8, 2012 2:45 AM in response to Panther8

It is really unbeliavable that Apple makes something as stupid as this! I am really sorry that Apple is Microsofticasing to much! I am struggling with the fact that with a unclear passage from mobile me to icloud I have two appleids, one I use all e time and one which I never use but it uses the name@me.com I would like to use for my Icloud mail account but I cannot because this is the appleid of another account. The solution should be to get rid of the account I do not use but it is not possible! Suppose this is the reason because otherwise there would be Zoomby data. Then it should be possible to free the name@me.com address by making another email the primary, but that is also not possible! What a stupid system can this be?!!! Apple, do something about it of people would get really annoyed about this behavior!

How can I change my primary Apple ID email to my new iCloud @me address?

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