Q: aol transitions

If you mean the email with the subject line, "Action Required: Your AOL Username login must transition to Apple ID," it is real. We are being forced to create a new Apple ID to replace using our AOL screen name. If you've never established your full AOL email address as an Apple ID, all you have to do is add @aol.com and create a new password. If you have previously established your AOL email as an Apple ID, you'll need to create a brand new email address first, because Apple cannot merge your account into an existing Apple ID -- it must be new. Or at least that's my understanding of the situation. (In my case, I had to create a new gmail account to continue.)

XianAs,

I currently use my AOL email address as my Apple ID. It was my understanding that if the AOL email address (and NOT the AOL username) is used as the Apple ID, then no action is required. Are you stating that you still had to create a new Apple ID with a different (in your case, gmail) email address? And if yes, did your @aol.com content merge with your new @gmail.com Apple ID or are you forced to sign in under your old (@aol.com) Apple ID to access your past content?

This is the part that has me hung up. I do not know if I am good to go with my AOL email address or if I must create a new Apple ID with a different email address, such as gmail, etc.

Thanks.