HT201356: About your Apple ID email addresses

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fredthe

Q: Changing primary email address

So I need to change my primary email address (loosing it after 20 years) and my understanding is that this will also change my apple ID.  My question is will I then loose all my progress in Game Center games? Everything I read indicates that the Game Center is linked to the Apple ID, and changing it looses everything.  Is this correct, or am I missing something.  I would hope that a simple need to update an email address doesn't break everything but it looks like it does.

iPad 2, iOS 8.3, null

Posted on May 6, 2015 8:40 AM

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Q: Changing primary email address

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  • by pjl123,

    pjl123 pjl123 May 6, 2015 8:56 AM in response to fredthe
    Level 5 (6,160 points)
    May 6, 2015 8:56 AM in response to fredthe

    no no no.

     

    Dont ever change your apple ID, unless something very compelling causes you to.  And changing your contact E mail is not in that category.   Log onto your apple account on the apple web page, go to your account profile and change your primary e mail address.  it is that simple.

     

    If you were to change your apple , yur game center stuff would get all messed up.  Not to mention the apps that need to be updated under a mix of new and old apple IDs. 

  • by fredthe,

    fredthe fredthe May 6, 2015 10:54 AM in response to pjl123
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 6, 2015 10:54 AM in response to pjl123

    I wish it were that simple.  According to Manage your Apple ID primary, rescue, alternate, and notification email addresses - Apple Support, "Every Apple ID account has one primary email address, and that address is your Apple ID"  so unless I'm missing something, changing my primary email address by definition changes my apple ID.

     

    And, when I go to actually change it, the entry is listed as "Apple ID and Primary Email Address".  So, How do I change one without changing the other?

     

    I loose my existing email address in a couple of days, so I need a solution.

  • by Demo,

    Demo Demo May 6, 2015 11:37 AM in response to fredthe
    Level 10 (94,797 points)
    iPad
    May 6, 2015 11:37 AM in response to fredthe

    Thousands of people change email providers every day I would imagine. Changling the email address that you use for your Apple ID does not affect anything as long as you follow the instructions in here. Make sure you follow them to the "T". Sign out of iCloud and Find My iPad, etc.

    Change your Apple ID - Apple Support

     

    Your Apple ID is merely a username and that username should be your primary email address. It would be absurd to think that you could never change email providers and have to start all over again with Apple/iTunes/App Purchase, etc.


    There is a big difference between creating a new ID and changing the one that you already have. You are changing the ID, not creating a new one.

     

    Read this as well.

    What to do after you change your Apple ID email address or password - Apple Support