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

An Apple ID’s name/primary email cannot be changed from a third party email address to an iCloud email address (i.e. to the same iCloud email address that is already associated with/an alias for that Apple ID)?

That is insane from a user perspective! How is this even a thing?

Fixing this as soon as possible should be a priority for Apple.

I strongly encourage all who experience this issue to provide feedback to Apple here https://www.apple.com/feedback/icloud.html.

Contrary to what some people may think, feedback is actually read and taken into consideration by Apple. That's why it’s very important for all to provide feedback. If folks at Apple are made aware that this is a serious issue for enough users, that may well move the needle towards fixing this rather sooner than later.

To that end, I just provided the following feedback:

Subject:

Change Apple ID's name to iCloud email address

Feedback Type:

Account

Comments:

I would very much like to be able to change my Apple ID's name and primary email from a third party email address to my iCloud email address (i.e. to the same iCloud email address that is *already* associated with/an alias for my Apple ID).

Currently this not possible. I find this incredibly inconvenient and user unfriendly.

Many other users are experiencing the exact same issue and would also very much like to see it resolved as indicated in this thread: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4434456

Please make it a priority to fix this issue as soon as possible.

However, I would appreciate if you could explain or provide a reference/link to the how of this : "So, one can switch the email address associated with their AppleID from a valid @gmail.com .... to an @icloud.com email ONE TIME."

Change your Apple ID - Apple Support

Once you've changed from @gmail to @icloud, you can't change again. One time.

Yeah this is quite annoying. I used gmail and windows/android for a few years but now I'm back on mac I thought it would be a good idea to use icloud. My main reason was that gmail labels screw up email clients and makes hard work on a mac. So I moved all my gmail mail to icloud, all set to go. Then to my dismay I go to change my appleID to my new @icloud email and no go. Sorry, you can't do that. Can't believe it! So my next approach was:

1) Forward email from @gmail to @cloud.

2) Changed app store payment details to send billing info to @icloud.

Now, anything I buy will at least send receipts to @icloud. However, I have no idea where they will send mail if I log in on another device (the panic email you get), possibly @gmail. Who knows?! It's actually quite ridiculous. If I had continued to use gmail, that was my appleID, my primary email, my only email, everything, so it was actually easier than using @icloud! What a train wreck.

LACAllen wrote:

However, I would appreciate if you could explain or provide a reference/link to the how of this : "So, one can switch the email address associated with their AppleID from a valid @gmail.com .... to an @icloud.com email ONE TIME."

Change your Apple ID - Apple Support

Once you've changed from @gmail to @icloud, you can't change again. One time.

No, NOT One time. Not at all. The issue isn't that you can't change from one @icloud to another. We all get and understand that. 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."

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?

Israel Brewster wrote:

LACAllen wrote:

However, I would appreciate if you could explain or provide a reference/link to the how of this : "So, one can switch the email address associated with their AppleID from a valid @gmail.com .... to an @icloud.com email ONE TIME."

Change your Apple ID - Apple Support

Once you've changed from @gmail to @icloud, you can't change again. One time.

No, NOT One time. Not at all. The issue isn't that you can't change from one @icloud to another. We all get and understand that. 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."

This is correct.

You cannot change an Apple ID's primary email address to an iCloud Email address not even once. You can change a non-Apple domain email address to another non-Apple domain email address as many times as you want.

An iCloud Email address is either an Apple ID in and of itself already (if it was created on its own from the Mail app on macOS or from an iOS device) and by extension cannot be used with a different Apple ID, or is simply an email alias that belongs to another non-Apple domain Apple ID (if it was created after creating the Apple ID).

Once again, You absolutely cannot change an Apple ID to use an icloud email at all.

LACAllen wrote:

Once you've changed from @gmail to @icloud, you can't change again. One time.

This is incorrect. You cannot change it to icloud, not even once.

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.

Any Apple domain email address is already an Apple ID and can't be "switched" to from a non Apple domain email address for use as an Apple ID.

This would in effect, be merging 2 Apple IDs, which is not supported by Apple.

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. Once your Apple ID uses an Apple domain email address, you can no longer change it.

As Gail says, this is how it works. Nobody here can change that or even speak to why that is.

Feedback for Apple goes here >>> http://www.apple.com/feedback/

fanboyfanboy wrote:

Agreed. Even from a software perspective, this is not a difficult feature to implement and makes no sense why it hasn't been added yet if Apple really wants to get everyone locked into their ecosystem.

Since you are so certain that it isn't difficult to change the software (I guess you have taken into account the entire iCloud infrastructure, correct?), then why don't you send the solution to Apple via the Feedback link: Apple - Feedback

Cheers,

GB

Interestingly, when I try to change my primary address to my iCloud alias, it keeps loading/spinning forever. Previously, it would just immediately give message saying that my Apple ID can't end with @icloud.com. Does this happen for anyone else?

This was always the case for me. Attempted on Mac w/ Safari & Chrome. iPhone Safari & Chrome. Win7 Chrome. I never received the error message. I just gave up on this. I use my iCloud email to sign in for everything & it shows the iCloud email as my ID for most services (FaceTime, iCloud settings pane, Home Sharing, etc.) Only the iTunes store shows the true primary email address. I went the route of using a different email as the primary but in reality it's only a safeguard for recovery. I switched all linked/external services to use my iCloud email so it acts as my primary email and phased out the super-totally-awesome email I made when I was ~12.

I guess I'm not sure what you mean. It can be used as a primary address? It can login to all Apple services - and can be used for Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn etc, etc. It just cannot be set as a primary email for the AppleID. Recovery email addresses are required anyways so in reality you would still need a backup. (? - maybe not with 2FA & phone# but not 100% on this)

fanboyfanboy wrote:

Recovery email addresses are required anyways so in reality you would still need a backup. (? - maybe not with 2FA & phone# but not 100% on this)

If you put a Recovery email on your Apple account, it has to be a totally different address than the Apple ID or any of the alias email addresses on the account. So, needs to be a completely different address not already associated with that Apple account in any way.

For 2SV, there is a Recovery Key, and for 2FA, there is a Recovery process, so neither even provide a place to put a Rescue email address.

Cheers!

GB

There is nothing to solve. This is how it works. Get another free email account so you can change your Verizon email on your Apple ID to a functional address, then just start using your iCloud.com email exclusively. The primary Apple ID and the iCloud email are completely interchangeable.

Cheers,

GB

I'm missing something. I would like to use my icloud email exclusively but oddly, all apple emails e.g. responses to this thread get sent to my apple Id email (which is now gmail and which I don't use). You say they are interchangeable but I don't see that. How can I get apple communications sent to my icloud email?