Why can't I use my iCloud email address as my Apple ID

The issue is that you can't change from @gmail TO @icloud - NOT EVEN ONE TIME. Yes, there is a change button. Yes, I can change from one gmail to another gmail, or to something different, but I can't set the @icloud account as primary - NOT EVEN ONCE. As gail said: "If you try to edit a non-Apple domain email address to an iCloud email address, it just goes out into the ether. It will not change it."

Read the passage again. If the @gmail address is already an Apple ID, you can't change.

Where have I said or implied you could?

LACAllen wrote:

The issue is that you can't change from @gmail TO @icloud - NOT EVEN ONE TIME. Yes, there is a change button. Yes, I can change from one gmail to another gmail, or to something different, but I can't set the @icloud account as primary - NOT EVEN ONCE. As gail said: "If you try to edit a non-Apple domain email address to an iCloud email address, it just goes out into the ether. It will not change it."

Read the passage again. If the @gmail address is already an Apple ID, you can't change.

Where have I said or implied you could?

You said, and I quote:

"So, one can switch the email address associated with their Apple ID from a valid @gmail.com, @hotmail.com email address and so on, to an @icloud.com one time"

The post you said that in is linked here.

FYI: an email address that ends in @icloud.com can be used as an Apple ID and you don't need to register them in http://appleid.apple.com because it is already an Apple ID. The article below will help you on how you can use an email that ends in @icloud.com to make purchases.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4895

Also, it is not possible to use an email address that ends in @icloud.com to update your existing Apple ID (example: myID@yahoo.com, myID@gmail.com) simply because you cannot use an Apple ID to update another Apple ID.

Love Y'all...

I realize that, but obviously it's not a problem I can solve. You can create a new Apple ID and make it a new iCloud address, but you can't make the iCloud address belonging to an existing Apple ID into the login for that ID, and I'm afraid that's an absolute.

If you want to complain to Apple about this you can send feedback at http://www.apple.com/feedback/icloud.html. You won't get a response but your feedback will be read.

Matty Hunt wrote:

"We want our MASTER icloud ID to be an @icloud.com address"

I'm a little reluctant to post what follows because it's bound to give someone indigestion. However, may I just offer something for consideration.

There are two serious disadvantages to having the same email address for the login and as the actual iCloud address.

1. If there is no other email address associated with an iCloud account and something goes wrong with it - it gets corrupted, for example, or you forget the password - Apple can only communicate with you through an address you no longer have access to.

2. If the login is the same as the publicly known email address, anyone can lock you out of your account - either maliciously or because they are a twerp who thinks they own your address (which sounds bizarre but does happen) simply by logging in three times with the wrong password. They you are forced to change your password in the Apple ID page and on all your devices. Then they do it again. And so on. This happened quite a lot in the days of MobileMe when all logins were the account address.

You may well feel that these disadvantages do not outweight the convenience of using the account address as the login, in which case posting on the feedback page at http://www.apple.com/feedback/icloud.html will bring your comment to Apple's direct attention.

FWIW i've sent a feedback (http://www.apple.com/feedback/) and lurked everything around here but without any result.

Looks like external emails can't be removed or ignored. Simply as that.

I hope to be wrong but at the moment I am pretty disappointed. 😟

You can create an ICLOUD Apple ID when you sign up for an Apple ID in your enabled iCloud device for the first time.

No you can't. An iCloud account can only be created from an existing AppleID which is already created with a non-Apple email address. Only after creating an iCloud account can you then add an "@icloud.com" email address for your iCloud account.

Read: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4436

Apple won't allow you to create an AppleID using an email address from any Apple-owned domain.

Actually it does appear to be possible to set the @icloud.com address as the ID if you do so when you first create the account - see Imp68's post here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5112194?answerId=22283348022#22283348022

However if the ID is already a non-Apple address then you can't change it to the @icloud.com address, and as said above whatever the ID is you can't move an address from one account to another.

I'm just going on the information provided by Apple in their current support articles, and in the info provided when you create an AppleID here. Yet more confusion from Apple regarding AppleIDs!

So, is this option only available Mac users? Or new in Mavericks? Or also to Windows users with the iCloud Control Panel and iOS devices?

That address is also your recovery address, in case of the iCloud address failing instructions will be sent to the alternate, not much use if it is the same address really.

'Primary' is a figment of your imagination, whichever address you choose to use is the 'Primary' (unless receiving emails from Apple is your 'Primary' use)

But, as you clearly feel different, tell Apple: Apple Feedback

Csound1 wrote:

That address is also your recovery address, in case of the iCloud address failing instructions will be sent to the alternate, not much use if it is the same address really.

'Primary' is a figment of your imagination, whichever address you choose to use is the 'Primary' (unless receiving emails from Apple is your 'Primary' use)

But, as you clearly feel different, tell Apple: Apple Feedback

Sorry, but you are still not understanding the issue. I suggest you read through this thread from the beginning. The 'Primary' is NOT my figment of my imagination. What I mean by primary (which is also Apple's term) is the email address Apple uses to send you correspondence on Apple purchases or any other correspondence from Apple. Also, Apple lets you setup a alternate email address for recovery issues. But Apple will not let you setup an iCloud email address as a primary email address for correspondence with Apple. It has to be a 3rd party email address. Just plan silly!!!

Actually, I've had it since I purchased my iPhone 4 in 2010....

When iCloud first came out, and the Mobile Me service was being eliminated, @me.com users had the option to set up the iCloud account using their @me.com address which then reactivated it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this doesn't ever change.... 😐 I really like my @me.com address - it is easy to remember, and seems to be more seamless with iCloud.com....

I would suggest that the more people who provide their feedback to Apple about this, the better:

Apple - Feedback

Cheers,

GB

Unless anything has changed since this was reported some time back, you can create a new Apple ID which is also the @icloud.com address provided you do so from the iCloud preference pane as detailed in this post:

Re: I wish to transfer my Apple ID to a new iCloud account

You cannot use an existing @icloud.com address. As said above, if you sign into iTunes with the new ID your purchases will not be transferred: there is nothing to stop you signing into iCloud with the new ID and iTunes with the old ID.

If you open an iCloud account using the @icloud.com address as the ID/login then you need to provide a non-Apple address as the 'rescue' address otherwise if something goes wrong and you are unable to access the account Apple will not be able to contact you.