iCloud ID vs Apple ID

Question

iCloud ID vs Apple ID

For years now, I've had an Apple ID that I use for purchases on the iTunes Store and some other things, and an iCloud ID that I use for all of my iCloud-related activities - e-mail, calendar, reminders, etc. The Apple ID is my non-Apple e-mail address, and the iCloud ID is my iCloud e-mail address.

The more Apple devices I start to use, the more concerned I am that this is going to cause a problem, and I think a problem I have with photos only showing up on some devices might be related to this. I would like to combine everything under one ID.

I just tried to change my Apple ID to my iCloud ID, and I can't do that because it won't accept an e-mail address with a domain name owned by Apple. Huh?

How can I combine the two accounts under one single ID?

Thanks!

Lynne

Posted on Jun 2, 2015 12:15 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 2, 2015 12:23 PM in response to Lynne Malchiodi

There is no way to combine them but if you want to share purchases you can add them both to your family sharing account.

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Answer 2

Rysz

Level 8

44,391 points

Jun 2, 2015 3:55 PM in response to Lynne Malchiodi

Lynne Malchiodi wrote:

I just tried to change my Apple ID to my iCloud ID, and I can't do that because it won't accept an e-mail address with a domain name owned by Apple. Huh?

It doesn't matter if you refer to them as an iCloud ID and an Apple ID, they are both Apple IDs. The warning you're getting is basically saying that you already have an Apple ID associated to that email address.

Averythomas is correct that it is not possible to combine two Apple IDs into one. Neither is it possible to move your purchases made with one ID to merge into the other one.

Choose the one you want to use and stick to it from now on. The other one will only become relevant if you need to update apps or re-download purchases made with it.

As to sharing with other family members, Photos /iCloud Photo Library has the ability to share specific Albums with specific people. You can also set up Your Apple ID to be shared with other family members. I don't know enough about your situation to make specific suggestions, so please search Apple Support for relevant explanations and How-To's.

.

Get started with Photos for OS X

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204655

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