My Apple ID is not an email address, but Apple would like it to be

Question

My Apple ID is not an email address, but Apple would like it to be

My Apple ID is simply ‘******' with no @ sign. I have used this Apple ID since 2002. Somehow throughout the many changes from @Mac to @Me to @iCloud I ended up with another Apple ID ‘*************' and now I have 2 Apple IDs.

*********

Apple created the situation by allowing an Apple ID with no @ sign to exist in the first place and then by allowing another Apple ID of the same name with @me.com after it! Apple would now like me to change Apple ID 1 to a valid email address. Well, my valid email address happens to be.

********

But of course I can't change it to that because it's already an existing Apple ID, Apple ID 2.

So in summary: Apple would like Apple ID 1 to be a valid email address and I'm telling them my email address is the address of Apple ID 2. I would love to hear if anyone has had a similar experience and how it was resolved. Thanks!

<E-mail Edited by Host>

iTools, DotMac, MobileMe, iCloud-OTHER, Apple cloud services

Posted on Apr 24, 2016 3:24 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Raymond de Groat Author

Level 1

37 points

May 2, 2016 1:16 AM in response to zinacef

Hi Zenacef,

When login to appleid.apple.com I am immediately requested to change my Apple ID 'raydegroat' to an email address. 'raydegroat at icloud.com. However, 'raydegroat at icould.com is already in use by my other Apple ID. I could simply get a gmail account, but this seems really wrong.

I can prove I am the owner of both Apple IDs. Apple should either allow me to merge them, or stop pestering me to change my existing Apple ID to an email address.

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Answer 2

May 3, 2016 10:56 AM in response to Raymond de Groat

Now I see I was mistaken about Apple requiring an existing email address. It is possible to set up an Apple ID without an existing email. The option exists when installing OS X for the first time. There I see the option to create a new Apple ID. When creating the new Apple ID the option exists to get a new @icloud.com email address. This makes much more sense. I would assume the option also exists from the iCloud System preference pane.

However, I will still have to live with my two Apple IDs, one being my name and the other being my name followed by an @ sign.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

197,589 points

May 3, 2016 3:33 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

iCloud requires your ID to be an email address, so you will have to create a non-Apple email address - a free one from Yahoo or similar would do - in order to change the ID which is currently not an email address.

Roger, is iCloud the only service that is not working with an AppleID that is only a plain word and not an email address?

The big problem is, that it is not possible to maintain such an AppleID at "My Apple ID" at all. Trying to sign in at My Apple ID with an old AppleID will immediately result in the "Update Required" panel.

It would be good to know, if keeping such an AppleID will have other drawbacks than not being able to use it with iCloud?

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Answer 4

May 2, 2016 8:35 AM in response to Raymond de Groat

You can change your existing non-email-address ID to an email address which is not associated with another Apple ID - so not any @mac.com, @me.com or @icloud.com address. There is no way you can use one of those, and no way you can merge IDs. iCloud requires your ID to be an email address, so you will have to create a non-Apple email address - a free one from Yahoo or similar would do - in order to change the ID which is currently not an email address. Don't bother contacting Support: you are not going to be able to do the things you want to ask them about.

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Answer 5

May 3, 2016 9:03 AM in response to léonie

But why would Apple want someone's Apple ID to end with @gmail.com or @Yahoo ? Furthermore, emails change. If my Apple ID is MyName@company.com, and I change jobs to @anotherCompany.com I must change my Apple ID. An ID should not change. It's your ID.

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Answer 6

léonie

Level 10

197,589 points

May 31, 2016 4:28 AM in response to Raymond de Groat

This checklist is explaining all services that will be affected by changing the AppleID and will need updating after you do it - see the link:

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

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204071

Someday we will have to give in and just do it, because it is now impossible to manage these old AppleIDs at My Apple ID at all. We cannot sign in to change the password or add a new mail address.

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Answer 7

May 3, 2016 3:36 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

I wonder. Why would Apple send people to Google to get an email address to use as their Apple ID?

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Answer 8

zinacef

Level 10

88,473 points

Apr 24, 2016 9:57 AM in response to Raymond de Groat

Did you try going to https://appleid.apple.com/and select "Manage your Apple ID"; log in with your Apple ID and password, then select Name, ID, and Email Addresses from the left column; next to Apple ID and Primary Email Address select Edit; enter a valid email address?

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Answer 9

May 3, 2016 2:39 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Thank you Roger. I believe you that Apple Support won't be of any help here. It's annoying considering Apple created this situation by first allowing an ID with no @ sign to exist in the first place, then aggravating the situation by allowing the creation of an ID which used the first ID before the @ sign. For example:

1st ID: MyID

2nd ID: MyID@me.com

These are 2 separate IDs. Fortunately I own both.

I'm fine with my Apple ID being 'myname' with no at sign. Fortunately I also own the Apple ID which is 'myname@me.com' This situation suites me. I'm good. No change needed. Hopefully if Apple needs to change my Apple ID, they will reach out to me first.

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Answer 10

May 3, 2016 3:26 AM in response to léonie

It's not something I can check, but iCloud does specify it and evidently they are now forcing it at http://appleid.apple.com. Whether it affects email in the Mail application I don't know but I would have thought so. It doesn't seem practicable to hang onto a non-email address ID now.

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Answer 11

léonie

Level 10

197,589 points

May 3, 2016 3:44 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

For me this AppleID is the one AppleID I used for all purchases - apps, devices, iTunes music, as well as for ASC. It is nice, and short, and working well.

The weird thing is that the "Update your AppleID" alert panel is suggesting to use the "verified address below" as the new AppleID, but that will probably not work, because that verified email is already one of my AppleIDs. So I will not try that unless absolutely necessary.

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Answer 12

léonie

Level 10

197,589 points

May 3, 2016 11:13 AM in response to Raymond de Groat

It is not too bad to have one AppleID xxx@icloud.com to be used with iCloud , for iCloud email, etc. and another AppleID, your previous one, used with iTunes and the AppStore for all your financial transactions. Some of us prefer not to have the purchases tied to the iCloud Apple ID.

It is no problem to sign into the iTunes Store and the Mac App Store with your old AppleID that is tied to your purchases and to use your new iCloud AppleID with the iCloud Preferences pane, Mail, Notes, iCloud Photos, etc.

That is what I am doing.

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Answer 13

May 30, 2016 12:27 AM in response to léonie

I'm OK with separate Apple IDs. I don't need to merge them, however I'm concerned about changing my Apple ID from raydegroat to raydegroat@ some email address because that Apple ID is associated with my Tech ID. So I'm nervous about changing it and would rather keep it as it is.

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Answer 14

zinacef

Level 10

88,473 points

May 2, 2016 7:39 AM in response to Raymond de Groat

Perhaps then it is best to reach out to Apple Support -- http://www.apple.com/support/appleid/

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