Q: Can't Remove Old ICloud Account

You're welcome!

All, I am having the same exact issue although I have yet another road block to get passed. When I try to update my primary email address to my old address, I get the following:

"This email address is designated as your rescue email address and cannot be used as your Apple ID or Primary email address. Please choose another."

I can't recall where I set this at. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

iOS *08*'s instructions worked for me too! And once I'd fixed the problem with my apple id on my iPad, I no longer had the same problem with my iPhone. This is my first foray into the support community -- I've always been a lurker, not a poster. Thanks so much, and good luck to everyone else dealing with this silly issue.

While you're signed in at "Manage your Apple ID" page.  Go to "Password and Security" section (You need to answer your security questions to view and edit information.)   If you can see your email address in the rescue email, remove it so you can rename your Apple ID to that email address.  You can add another email address as a rescue email later.  Save the changes when done.

The problem is that is that I'm also encountering the endless email verification loop. I'm able to verify but when I go in to manage my account in order to update the email info, I keep getting prompted to verify my email address. It never ends! =(

I suggest you contact Apple support to better assist you with your Apple ID issue.

Thanks to iOS*08* my problem is fixed. Your suggestion worked perfectly. Thanks!

Hello, of course I'm having the same issue. But my error is not that the "old" email is my rescue email. It is that it has already been verified in another appleID, which of course is the old one. ugh!! Any suggestions on this??

thanks!!!

Hi.  You need to know which Apple ID is that old email address used as a rescue email and removed it from there.  You can check that by logging in to https://appleid.apple.com > Manage your Apple ID > Password and Security all of your possible Apple IDs.  If you need further assistance, contact Apple Support.  Cheers!

Have followed this thread carefully and tried all suggestions.  No joy.  Apple support is no help.  My issue - and it sounds like I'm lucky - is on my iPhone 4 after the upgrade.  I'm simply trying to wipe the phone to sell it since my 5s purchase.

I've been loyal to Apple for over 15 years.  I'm really surprised that this issue (with all it's variations) has been solved yet as I see this thread has been around for a bit.

Thanks for listening and offering suggetions.

I think this one's more applicable to your situation - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5661.

Thanks iOS*08* I was stuck in a loop with the same problem as cpino711. Now all good.

iOS*08*'s solution isn't working for me because it's still asking me to enter the password associated with the old e-mail address.

The old e-mail address is actually completely gone (the server no longer exists), so I can't get the e-mail to verify the change. 

I can't turn off find my iphone without loggin in with the old e-mail address, so it's not letting me delete.  ARGH!  Any other ideas?

It's prompting me to do various things with icloud (agree to terms, etc) several times a day and making me nuts.

If you don't have access to your old email account, on a web browser, go to the Apple ID website, https://appleid.apple.com and sign in your current iCloud/Apple ID then edit it to your old email address then Save the changes (NO NEED to verify the email address becuase it's impossible).  DO NOT sign out yet.  Go back to your iOS device with that old email address then delete your iCloud account.  Once deleted, go back to the Apple ID website and rename it back to your current email address.  You just have to verify and you're good to go.  No need to touch the other 2 iOS devices with the correct Apple ID.

I'm having the same issue. But only with my ipad3 .   My phone is okay. I don't have access to my old email address. So I tried to follow your instructions above. But when I go to delete the old icloud account from my ipad it tells me all documents and photo stream photos stored in icloud will be deleted from  this ipad.  I don't want that to happen! So I changed my email address back.  Now what do I do??