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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

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 24, 2013 9:01 PM

Hi -


As per reitermoritz's reply to my comment on the 20th March 2013, I feel s_rafida has again missed the point slightly and is still being misunderstood. Like the other other Apple customers here, we don't want to have 2, 3, 10 or 7 email addresses. We want ONE. Because we had (now in hindsight directly caused this problem) by using a NON-APPLE email intially as the ID and then an @icloud address for the icloud account and email, we are the ones NOT in a position to get rid of the email associated with the ID and move it to the icloud email address. There are fortunate people out there who have set-up new accounts, devices from scratch who were not Apple customers before that have been able to from the very beginning have their icloud address as their Apple ID, and therefore ONE account.


This means that us poor sods have to go through the inconvenince and frankly seamingly unecessary pain to create digital clutter in our lives and be forced to open some unused email account simply to use it as an Apple ID. What an utterly perposterous and cumbersome system.


I think it is ridiculous.

428 replies

Nov 26, 2013 1:19 AM in response to reitermoritz

This has irritated me in the past a lot also over the past few years since I bought my first iPhone, and I keep checking to see if the issue has been resolved. Having become very frustrated with iOS 7 and reading through these messages though, I've come to the conclusion that Apple have actually done me a favour. If I ever decide to 'leave' Apple, it will be a lot easier if Gmail remains my primary email address.

Dec 16, 2013 11:03 PM in response to reitermoritz

I want to keep my music and apps in my existing iTunes account, but my email address has changed. I want to only use my @icloud.com for EVERYTHING.

I can't use my @icloud.com email address to login to my existing iTunes account??? ***?!?

I can change my email account and use ANY other service providers email service, but not Apple's, to access my iTunes account??? C'mon people...tell me I'm missing something here.

Dec 18, 2013 11:56 AM in response to boazfromca

Hi

I am going through the same problem.

I would like to suggest you to click "I have this question too" on the original post.
If a high number of users do that, maybe this will catch Apple's attention.


Moreover, you can go to www.apple.com/feedback and contact them.

I have done this even if I knew they would not ansnwer me back.

Dec 23, 2013 1:20 AM in response to Sally Sparkles

Why is it silly?


Almost all internet service providers require an alternative way for you to be contacted, just in case there is some technical issue with the primary account that prevents it from being accessible.


You don't have to actively use the email account with the other provider. It's there for emergency purposes.


Have you never heard the warning against "putting all your eggs in one basket"?

Dec 23, 2013 1:57 PM in response to reitermoritz

I'm simply trying to get out of Google gmail and move over to Apple icloud. I have been told by an Apple support tech that in order to do this I need to create a new Apple ID or use my existing one that is associated with my current icloud account, and in either case I would lose ALL of my itunes purchases and all information associated with the gmail based Apple ID (or in order to not lose that stuff I need to keep that account with a non-Apple email address). This is an utterly stupid policy and I'm now wondering if Apple will continue a new trend in crappy customer service, and this will certainly reflect on my future purchasing considerations and recommendations.


"An Apple ID is your user name for everything you do with Apple: Shop the iTunes Store, enable iCloud on all your devices, buy from the Apple Online Store, make a reservation at an Apple Retail Store, access the Apple Support website, and more."


Dec 27, 2013 6:27 AM in response to reitermoritz

+1


I open a new ticket by the Apple Customer Support from time to time making always the same request, I want to change the name of my Apple ID with my iCloud e-mail address. By now none could help me and I'm still waiting as a lot of you.


Btw, has somebody tried to change his Apple ID with the iCloud one?

The result was that the input mask split the input field in Apple ID Name and Apple ID Primary E-mail address.

Jan 1, 2014 2:59 PM in response to Imp68

The 3rd party email cannot be ignored. It shows up at various places every time I open the "settings" in my iOS device. It shows up as my caller ID on iMessages from time to time, even though I repeatedly try and turn it off. It shows up in my iTunes accout. It shows up on my sales receipts. It shows up everywhere. The 3rd part email address is like a cockroach that just will not die. I don't understand why Apple with it's "walled garden" is so insistent that we retain our Yahoo, Hotmail, or Gmail accounts.

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

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