Level 2

220 points

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

When I want to enter my iCloud email address (like foo@icloud.com) as my Apple ID, the system at appleid.apple.com tells me that I can't use an email address with a domain owned by Apple as my Apple ID which I find odd enough. I tried to create a new Apple ID through appleid.apple.com just to see what happens and even then it says that you cannot use an email address with an Apple domain.

It becomes even more odd when you consider that, if I'm not wrong, you can very well create a new Apple ID and use a new @icloud.com email address if you do it with an iPhone.

I can use my iCloud address as the primary email address of my Apple ID account so it's not a huge problem, but it still annoys me a little bit that the name of my Apple ID has to continue being my obsolete Gmail address.

Does anyone have more information on this?

Posted on Oct 15, 2012 8:45 AM

Top-ranking reply

Imp68

Level 4

2,672 points

Posted on Jun 19, 2013 11:42 AM

If you had an existing (non-apple) apple id before icloud, apple gave people the ability to have an icloud (email) account attached to it. By signing into an icloud enabled device, and checking off mail, you are given the option to create an @icloud address (formerly an @me.com one), that is associated with that apple id. This allowed people to continue to use the apple id that had all their purchases, and have an @icloud address. You can sign into any apple services using this address and pretty much ignore the originating non-apple address if you want. If that originating address is no longer valid... well, that's not really apples fault. You can maintain it, or create a new non-apple address to change it to (only reason you'd really need to do this is for the sake of rescue emails).

If you don't have an apple id, and wanted to use icloud, you can create an icloud apple id by signing into an icloud enabled device. This is an apple id in its own right, and therefore cannot be used to change the address of an existing non-apple id.

This is essentially how it works, and is pretty easy to understand.

Now, what you guys are wanting is a new feature, which DOES make sense. I'm with you guys on this. You want to be able to remove the non-apple address from your accounts, and just use the @icloud address permanently, without a non-apple address. After all, new icloud signups can do this...

Anyone wanting this new feature should request it at apple.com/feedback.

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428 replies

g_a

Level 1

30 points

Oct 21, 2017 5:54 AM in response to fanboyfanboy

fanboyfanboy wrote:

I submitted feedback and a bug report on this long ago actually. No, I haven’t looked at the iCloud infrastructure because Apple has not released the source code. However, if I can use my my @iCloud.com email - which is an alias, - as a valid login to any Apple services, the relations between database tables already exist.

Indeed.

The notion that it should take near magic for Apple to make this possible is ridiculous.

I’m sure it won’t be as easy as flicking on a switch; probably nothing is at the titanic scales that Apple operates at. Also pretty sure that finding a workable solution is not beyond the collective wit of Apple’s engineers if doing so was made a high enough priority by the powers that be.

Nov 1, 2017 8:45 AM in response to helixpomatia

<sarcasm>But that's not possible! We were told so several times by several people! We just had to live with the way it was, because there was no way for Apple to change it!</sarcasm>

Yep, worked for me! Thanks for the heads-up!

Nov 1, 2017 9:48 AM in response to Israel Brewster

Israel Brewster wrote:

<sarcasm>But that's not possible! We were told so several times by several people! We just had to live with the way it was, because there was no way for Apple to change it!</sarcasm>

Yep, worked for me! Thanks for the heads-up!

And when those several people told you several times that it wasn't possible, it wasn't. This change did not go into effect until yesterday....

Had you bothered to open the link that helixpomatia had provided and look at the date of the article vs. the date of the posts (which would be all of them up until yesterday), you would be aware of that fact.

And no one in this thread said there was no way for Apple to change it. We have no idea what Apple may or may not be doing. All that was said was that it was not possible for you to do it because Apple did not allow you to use Apple domain email address for changing to or from an Apple ID. Now it is.

g_a

Level 1

30 points

Nov 1, 2017 10:01 AM in response to Rolomoto

Rolomoto wrote:

I still get:

Your Apple ID cannot end in @icloud.com. Choose a different email address.

It worked for me.

Apparently, it's possible this feature has not yet rolled out to all users, or that it's not fully functional as of yet: https://www.macrumors.com/2017/10/31/apple-id-third-party-email-address-update/.

Nov 1, 2017 10:30 AM in response to g_a

g_a wrote:

Rolomoto wrote:

I still get:

Your Apple ID cannot end in @icloud.com. Choose a different email address.

It worked for me.

Apparently, it's possible this feature has not yet rolled out to all users, or that it's not fully functional as of yet: https://www.macrumors.com/2017/10/31/apple-id-third-party-email-address-update/.

Thanks for that update!

Did you change your Apple ID to the iCloud address that was on the same account? Just wondering if that is the difference between the folks who are having issues?

Cheers,

Oct 15, 2012 3:40 PM in response to reitermoritz

I am having the exact same issue and I find it incredibly annoying! Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Dec 31, 2012 3:25 AM in response to reitermoritz

Does anyone have any further information about this?

I simply want to retire my current email address and use my @icloud.com address as my apple id, primary email, etc etc...

Anyone?!

reitermoritz Author

Level 2

220 points

Nov 25, 2013 4:17 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

For god's sake, Roger, would you please stop it? What you explain there has nothing to do with the problem.

Jun 30, 2016 2:51 PM in response to steve2604

Oh, yes, Windows would have been a lot simpler

LACAllen

Level 8

43,584 points

Oct 19, 2017 6:54 PM in response to fanboyfanboy

Google begs to differ.

Change your username - Gmail Help

Oct 7, 2014 6:56 PM in response to Csound1

I don't think you know what you're talking about.

Apple specifically recommends against using an abandoned email address.

Source: Security and your Apple ID

May 6, 2016 7:57 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Looks like we have a solution finally - Change your Apple ID - Apple Support

Sep 6, 2016 11:58 AM in response to jasonvirgo

You aren't going to get anything here. This is a user to user technical support forum. If you want to share your feelings with Apple, you can do so here: Apple - Feedback

LACAllen

Level 8

43,584 points

Jun 25, 2017 9:48 PM in response to NateWalker

Simply stop using it or call Support to request a deletion.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201232

Jul 19, 2017 3:30 PM in response to Danasekar04

Then tell Apple: Apple - Feedback

Cheers,

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