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Q: 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 8:48 AM

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

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  • by Imp68,

    Imp68 Imp68 Oct 9, 2014 5:50 PM in response to bluefox34
    Level 4 (2,633 points)
    Oct 9, 2014 5:50 PM in response to bluefox34

    So what exactly is involed in maintaining a non-apple email address?  This whole "maintaining" theme keeps coming back.  It sounds like a lot of work!  Does it require some sort of hourly attending?  Perhaps walking it or cleaning up after it?

     

    Oh, and you still never did explain the added security risk.  I'm curious how that works, too.

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine Oct 9, 2014 6:46 PM in response to Imp68
    Level 7 (26,129 points)
    iCloud
    Oct 9, 2014 6:46 PM in response to Imp68

    Maintaining a non-Apple email address (i.e., an Apple ID that uses an email address other than @me.com or @mac.com) is as simple as signing onto the Apple ID with the email address you no longer want to use, clicking on the EDIT button in Manage your Apple ID, and changing it to a new, valid, non-Apple email address. You then verify it, and you are done.

     

    Before you EDIT your Apple ID to a new email address, you should sign out of iCloud, Messages, FaceTime, and Mail on your iOS devices and your computer. Once you have made the change and have verified the new Apple ID email address, you sign back onto those adds with the new Apple ID.

     

    Simple.

     

    GB

  • by Ski22,

    Ski22 Ski22 Oct 9, 2014 6:52 PM in response to gail from maine
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 9, 2014 6:52 PM in response to gail from maine

    The problem is the non-apple email address I'm forced to use as a primary email address for Apple,  is an unused email address. Apple forces you to use a non-apple email address as a primary email address for Apple specific correspondence.

  • by bluefox34,

    bluefox34 bluefox34 Oct 9, 2014 7:16 PM in response to gail from maine
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Oct 9, 2014 7:16 PM in response to gail from maine

    gail from maine wrote:

     

    Maintaining a non-Apple email address (i.e., an Apple ID that uses an email address other than @me.com or @mac.com) is as simple as signing onto the Apple ID with the email address you no longer want to use, clicking on the EDIT button in Manage your Apple ID, and changing it to a new, valid, non-Apple email address. You then verify it, and you are done.

     

    Before you EDIT your Apple ID to a new email address, you should sign out of iCloud, Messages, FaceTime, and Mail on your iOS devices and your computer. Once you have made the change and have verified the new Apple ID email address, you sign back onto those adds with the new Apple ID.

     

    Simple.

     

    GB

     

    Instead of all of the above, why not make it simple and let you use an apple-owned address?

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine Oct 9, 2014 7:37 PM in response to bluefox34
    Level 7 (26,129 points)
    iCloud
    Oct 9, 2014 7:37 PM in response to bluefox34

    That was not the question I was responding to. My response was specifically addressed to the vast majority of people who have non-Apple domain Apple IDs. In fact, the instructions I provided can only be used with a non-domain Apple ID. I have an @me.com Apple ID. I cannot change it.

     

    And again, not sure if this is not the case with non-Apple domain email addresses, but I get all Apple mail to both my @me.com address and my @iCloud.com address. So, not really sure about why Ski22 is not getting the Apple emails to his iCloud.com address.....

     

    GB

  • by Ski22,

    Ski22 Ski22 Oct 9, 2014 7:43 PM in response to gail from maine
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 9, 2014 7:43 PM in response to gail from maine

    gail from maine wrote:

     

    And again, not sure if this is not the case with non-Apple domain email addresses, but I get all Apple mail to both my @me.com address and my @iCloud.com address. So, not really sure about why Ski22 is not getting the Apple emails to his iCloud.com address.....

     

    GB

     

    Per an Apple senior adviser I talked to today, Apple changed their policy and now requires a 3rd party email address for the primary email address for Apple correspondence.  Please read the previous messages in this thread.  And the https://appleid.apple.com/ website to manage the primary email address for Apple correspondence enforces this new policy!! Consider yourself lucky you got in before the policy change.  This is the issue!! And a very stupid decision on Apple's part!!!

  • by Matthew Palm,

    Matthew Palm Matthew Palm Oct 9, 2014 7:43 PM in response to gail from maine
    Level 1 (41 points)
    Oct 9, 2014 7:43 PM in response to gail from maine

    I'm jealous that you have an @me.com Apple ID! You must have set it up relatively recently (last couple of years).

     

    I have an old/defunct email as my Apple ID, but at least I was able to make my primary email my current @me.com address. Sounds like Apple does not even allow that anymore.

     

    I'm a long-time Apple user (and fan), and even I can't quite understand why Apple restricts what can and can't be used as Apple ID and primary email address.

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine Oct 9, 2014 7:56 PM in response to Matthew Palm
    Level 7 (26,129 points)
    iCloud
    Oct 9, 2014 7:56 PM in response to Matthew Palm

    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

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Oct 10, 2014 3:08 AM in response to Imp68
    Level 9 (50,417 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 10, 2014 3:08 AM in response to Imp68

    Imp68 wrote:

     

    So what exactly is involed in maintaining a non-apple email address? 

    5 minutes work to set it up, then nothing.

     

    Oh, and you still never did explain the added security risk.  I'm curious how that works, too.

    Unfortunately some of these posters don't know how to answer questions, they just spout whatever is in their heads in the assumption that if presented often enough one of us will be dumb enough to believe it.

     

    That doesn't seem to be working out well though.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Oct 10, 2014 3:14 AM in response to gail from maine
    Level 9 (50,417 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 10, 2014 3:14 AM in response to gail from maine

    gail from maine wrote:

     

    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 have a mac.com address, I have had it for more than 12 years   because of that I also have a me.com and an icloud.com option if I want to use them, but no

     

    This domain succession (mac/me/icloud) goes back beyond Mobile Me or DotMac, it debuted with iTools, in the year 2000

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Oct 10, 2014 3:27 AM in response to Matthew Palm
    Level 9 (50,417 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 10, 2014 3:27 AM in response to Matthew Palm

    Matthew Palm wrote:

     

    I'm jealous that you have an @me.com Apple ID! You must have set it up relatively recently (last couple of years).

    Each domain ending spanned the time period that the corresponding service was available, first came iTools (2000) which ushered in the @mac.com domain, iTools was renamed to DotMac and then MobileMe (2010) and that brought us the @me.com period. Lately MobileMe has become iCloud and the @icloud.com ending is now operative.

     

    If you started with a .mac address you now have 3 to use mac, me or iCloud, if you got your address back in the MobileMe days you have 2 addresses, me and iCloud. If you just joined (last couple of years) you only have the iCloud address.

  • by Imp68,

    Imp68 Imp68 Oct 10, 2014 3:50 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 4 (2,633 points)
    Oct 10, 2014 3:50 AM in response to Csound1

    Exactly.  People keep making it sound like it's some sort of hard work.  And easy arguments can be made for the benefits of having a 3rd party address, too, particularly account recover.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Oct 10, 2014 3:50 AM in response to Imp68
    Level 9 (50,417 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 10, 2014 3:50 AM in response to Imp68

    A 3rd party address as ID is actually safer (larger character choice) but there is no room here for common sense, or facts. We are in wonderland now.

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine Oct 10, 2014 9:08 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 7 (26,129 points)
    iCloud
    Oct 10, 2014 9:08 AM in response to Csound1

    Well that makes me feel better Csound! I like my @me and have no other personal email address (aside from the "automatic" ones set up for one by Amazon, TimeWarner, etc., which I don't know). For me, the @me not only is "me", but also is the state initials for Maine, so it is just kind of cool for me!

     

    So, I'm glad to know that your @mac is still functional (with the added @me and @iCloud) after 12 years YAY!!!!

     

    And very interesting historical timeline as well! Thanks for the info!

     

    GB

  • by bluefox34,

    bluefox34 bluefox34 Oct 10, 2014 2:09 PM in response to Imp68
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Oct 10, 2014 2:09 PM in response to Imp68

    Imp68 wrote:

     

    Exactly.  People keep making it sound like it's some sort of hard work.  And easy arguments can be made for the benefits of having a 3rd party address, too, particularly account recover.

     

    It does have its benefits. But it's added risk too. Someone who gets into your gmail can use recovery and a bit of social engineering to get into your apple account.

     

    Some people are ok sacrificing part of their security for convenience, some are not. But apple doesn't give you a choice. If you don't believe me about the risks, you can email me your gmail account info (the one you use for apple id, if you do) and I'll happily give you a proof-of-concept demonstration.

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