Liane81

Q: How to change iCloud username on iPhone 4S?

My Hotmail account has become Outlook, so I changed my Apple ID.

 

I've logged into iCloud successfully via Google Chrome (desktop PC access).

 

However, iCloud on my iPhone 4S is now saying my username is incorrect. There's no apparent way to update it.

 

Please help!

Posted on Aug 28, 2012 5:32 AM

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Q: How to change iCloud username on iPhone 4S?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Ralph Landry1,

    Ralph Landry1 Aug 28, 2012 5:36 AM in response to Liane81
    Level 8 (41,782 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 5:36 AM in response to Liane81

    Go to Settings > iCloud > Account > Apple ID and change the AppleID as appropriate...but for iCloud the ID must be an email address.  If you had set the iCloud ID as an @me.com address then it cannot be changed.

  • by Liane81,

    Liane81 Liane81 Aug 28, 2012 5:39 AM in response to Ralph Landry1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 5:39 AM in response to Ralph Landry1

    The email address can't be selected, so I assume it can't be changed.

     

    Does this mean I can never use my iCloud feature again, because my email address doesn't exist any more?

     

    My phone also still prompts me for my old email address when downloading apps etc. How do I tell it that I changed my Apple ID?

     

    Makes no sense...

  • by Ralph Landry1,Helpful

    Ralph Landry1 Aug 28, 2012 5:52 AM in response to Liane81
    Level 8 (41,782 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 5:52 AM in response to Liane81

    Liane, have you read this knowledge base article to see if it helps?  Thre are restrictions on iCloud IDs and changes that you are premitted to make.  You may want to just go into Settings > iCloud and at the bottom of the screen Delete Account, then enter all of the new account information.

  • by Liane81,

    Liane81 Liane81 Aug 28, 2012 5:59 AM in response to Ralph Landry1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 5:59 AM in response to Ralph Landry1

    No - I've found the support information difficult to navigate.

     

    Thanks for your reply and help

     

    Looks like I'll have to delete the account and start again!

  • by Ralph Landry1,Helpful

    Ralph Landry1 Aug 28, 2012 6:02 AM in response to Liane81
    Level 8 (41,782 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 6:02 AM in response to Liane81

    That is often the best solution, just delete from the device and reenter the correct information.

  • by Michael Black,

    Michael Black Michael Black Aug 28, 2012 6:05 AM in response to Liane81
    Level 7 (25,306 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 6:05 AM in response to Liane81

    When you changed the AppleID, do you mean you changed the primary email address at the manage account section at https://appleid.apple.com/

     

    Or, did you actually create a new AppleID with the outlook mail address?

     

    If you did the latter, then you are fubar'd.  Your iCloud account's primary ID is the AppleID you used to create it, so if you created a new AppleID, your old one remains (regardless of the status of that primary email address) and so that iCloud account remains, and remains tied to that AppleID.

     

    All you can do now is create a new iCloud account with the new AppleID.

     

    As long as you just edit your AppleID information at the link I posted above, then you only change the identifier for that AppleID and the account itself is unchanged (so everything tied to that AppleID would work with the new login identifier).

  • by Liane81,

    Liane81 Liane81 Aug 28, 2012 6:14 AM in response to Michael Black
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 6:14 AM in response to Michael Black

    I did the former - I changed my primary Apple ID via online login.

     

    But my phone still apparently thinks I'm using the old username.

     

    There's no obvious way to alert it to the update.

  • by Michael Black,

    Michael Black Michael Black Aug 28, 2012 6:16 AM in response to Liane81
    Level 7 (25,306 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 6:16 AM in response to Liane81

    If you changed it at the link, then you just need to delete the iCloud account and add it back with the updated indentifier. It will still be the same account, just there is no way to "refresh" an iCloud accounts login settings on the iPhone other than to remove and add-back the account.

  • by Liane81,

    Liane81 Liane81 Aug 28, 2012 6:19 AM in response to Michael Black
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 6:19 AM in response to Michael Black

    Thanks!

  • by Ralph Landry1,

    Ralph Landry1 Aug 28, 2012 6:20 AM in response to Michael Black
    Level 8 (41,782 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 6:20 AM in response to Michael Black

    Which has now come full circle to the second reply above...

  • by Liane81,

    Liane81 Liane81 Aug 28, 2012 6:22 AM in response to Ralph Landry1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 6:22 AM in response to Ralph Landry1

    Yeah - though felt I should thank you both

  • by Ralph Landry1,

    Ralph Landry1 Aug 28, 2012 6:23 AM in response to Liane81
    Level 8 (41,782 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 6:23 AM in response to Liane81

    And that is much appreciated, Liane...all fellow users on here trying to help each other with problems.  Hope you get this sorted out and working right for you very soon.

  • by Michael Black,

    Michael Black Michael Black Aug 28, 2012 6:28 AM in response to Ralph Landry1
    Level 7 (25,306 points)
    Aug 28, 2012 6:28 AM in response to Ralph Landry1

    True, except as the op mentioned, I've never found you can actually edit the appleid under the iCloud account on my iPhone.  As far as I know, you have to actually delete the account, then add it back as a new account, but with the now changed identifier email address.  A bit of an obtuse way to accomplish a simple login edit, but it is what it is I guess.

  • by adri49,

    adri49 adri49 Jan 29, 2014 7:14 AM in response to Michael Black
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 29, 2014 7:14 AM in response to Michael Black

    icant remove icloud from my ipad because the old pasword doesnt work