How can I verify my Apple ID if I don't have access to my old email?

Question

How can I verify my Apple ID if I don't have access to my old email?

Apple asks me to verify my ID by clicking on the comfirmation email that it just sent, only the email in question doesn't exist anymore. I mean, if I had a magic letter opener that swiped electronic mail in rogue-like fashion, these things would not become problems. Surely Apple didn't expect EVERYONE to keep the same email address for years upon years...

So what it do? Do I pay for Apple telephone support? I'm on hold right now, as a matter of fact. The problem is so miniscule that the nice girl on the phone waived my first fee! Apple, baby, get on it will ya? There are about to be a LOT of unhappy people swinging that little knocking hinge on the front door...hard.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Oct 21, 2011 7:51 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 21, 2011 10:04 AM in response to davidaguillard

ok... i figured out "A" solution.

Go to https://appleid.apple.com/, choose "Manage your account", enter your old apple id email and password, then edit the verification email to a functional email address. This will send the email verification to your newly chosen apple id. PLEASE NOTE, this email address can NOT be a MobileMe (@me.com or @mac.com) email address OR an address already verified on an existing apple id (some folks added and secondary email address to their MobileMe apple id).

Here's where it gets even more confusing. You've now changed your apple id email. Problem is you need to reset the password you never created (lol). Go back to https://appleid.apple.com/, choose "Reset your password", then enter your newly changed apple id email address and follow the instructions.

Now, log into that email account and open the email to reset your password. Follow those instructions.

Now that you've changed your apple id email address, reset that password you are ready to finally verify your apple id. Open your email account and follow the instruction (link) to verify account. It will ask you for you (new) apple id email and (new) password.

Finally, now that everything is verified, you will now need to go into your iTunes, iPhone, iTouch and anything else associated with the old apple id email and update your log in info. You are now free to resume the services that worked just fine before the self-destruct button was pressed.

I love Apple as a whole but, wow... I feel like I'm at the beginning of MobileMe again.

Good luck and I hope this helps everyone!

ON A POSITIVE NOTE:

I appeared to loose nothing at this time through this process (i.e. music, apps, credits, etc.) except perhaps my cool. :-)

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Answer 2

tom291

Level 1

4 points

Oct 21, 2011 8:51 AM in response to davidaguillard

I too am having the same issue. I would love to know what you figure out!

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Answer 3

Oct 21, 2011 7:59 AM in response to davidaguillard

My guess will be that if you are patient on the phone, they will fix it for you.

davidaguillard wrote:

Surely Apple didn't expect EVERYONE to keep the same email address for years upon years...

No, but I think it is reasonable of Apple to expect that you, the account holder, would update your email address before the old one expires. They have no way of know what changes in your personal life, so how can they possible know what information changes unless you update it in a timely manner (ie. before you give up or loose the old email address).

One way to avoid this whole scenario is to register a domain for yourself, find a cheap hosting company and use your own domain for your email. Even if you move or change hosting services, you just move your registered domain name with it. Most basic hosting packages include one free domain registration anyway.

I've moved several times in the past 12 years and changed ISP service along the way (also had one ISP get swallowed up by another), but my email address(es) is and will be the same, regardless. Makes life a lot easier I find.

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