Setting up an iCloud email account with the mail app for the first time question?

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Level 1

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Setting up an iCloud email account with the mail app for the first time question?

So let's say you've created an apple id for the first time with a valid gmail email address and now you want to set up that apple id or iCloud account to your mail app on your mac. Since you've never enabled the mail feature to be on on any devices yet, you still don't have an @icloud.com domain associated to your apple id yet. Once you choose the iCloud mail option which is on the newer mac os of course when setting up a mail account, if you were to put in your gmail email address which is also your apple id and the appropriate password, will it set up properly or…… must you first enable the mail function either in the system preferences of iCloud on your mac, on an iOS device also in the iCloud preferences after signing in or by simply completing the initial sign in at iCloud.com on any computer? In doing so for the first time, will you be asked to choose a new @icloud.com email address or will it automatically create one for you with your username of the email address? I can see people getting confused by trying to set up their iCloud email account but putting in the gmail address which is technically their apple id primary email address thinking that would work. But it must be the @icloud domain to properly set it up, am I correct?

Posted on Jun 9, 2017 8:02 PM

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Answer 1

Jfalconebmop Author

Level 1

30 points

Jun 9, 2017 8:21 PM in response to Jfalconebmop

In fact, I just tried creating an apple id with a new gmail account that did not yet have the @icloud.com domain associated with the email. I signed into iCloud.com for the first time with that apple id. There was no mail option! So I'm presuming that you do indeed have to sign into iCloud in settings or system preferences on an apple device, then enable mail to have or be able to select an @icloud.com domain which associates itself to your primary apple id email address.

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Answer 2

Jun 9, 2017 8:26 PM in response to Jfalconebmop

Well, basically, you need to sign into iCloud with your Apple ID (if you are able to sign into iCloud, then that means you already have an iCloud.com email address associated with your Apple ID), and turn on Mail. That's it.

Cheers,

GB

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Answer 3

Jfalconebmop Author

Level 1

30 points

Jun 9, 2017 8:35 PM in response to Jfalconebmop

Ok so I found the answer to my question by playing around with it. I added the apple id as an iCloud email account on my newer iPhone with iOS 10.3.2 and when I added the account, I put in the gmail email address and the correct apple id password and then there was a prompt asking me to choose an @icloud.com domain. What confused me is that I have an older macbook with os x 10.7.5 Lion and an older version of the Mail app which does not specify what type of email account you are adding. This is what causes problems since you would have to put in that it is an @icloud.com domain or else it will just think it is a gmail account you are trying to add. It is still kind of confusing though, since if you were to add the actual gmail account on your iPhone you'll end up with two email accounts called the same thing although if you look in the advanced preferences you will see that the iCloud account is actually the @icloud.com domain you chose. So you'd probably want to change the description of the iCloud one to what it actually is so it's not confusing. But the problem is solved. Apple got smart by changing that on the newer versions of osx.

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Answer 4

Jun 9, 2017 8:40 PM in response to Jfalconebmop

Sorry, but I think you are confused. Not sure about the Lion question, since I don't have a Mac running Lion, but on an iOS device, you sign into your iCloud account with your Apple ID - no matter what it is - a gmail address, a yahoo address, etc. The act of signing into iCloud with your Apple ID results in an iCloud.com email address being added to your Apple account.

Once you have signed into iCloud, you simply turn on the Mail option. That will automatically set up your iCloud email account using your Apple ID. That's all you have to do - no new email, no change to your Apple ID. An iCloud email account does not require an iCloud.com sign in - just your Apple ID sign in via Settings>iCloud.

Cheers,

GB

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Answer 5

Jfalconebmop Author

Level 1

30 points

Jun 9, 2017 8:45 PM in response to gail from maine

Firstly, I'm talking about creating an Apple ID from the appleid.apple.com website! If you sign into iCloud.com it does not necessarily mean you already have an @icloud.com domain. Only once you add the Apple ID as a mail account on an apple device or once you enable the mail option in the iCloud settings of a mac or iOS device do you get to choose the @icloud.com domain. I just tested it out.

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Answer 6

Jun 9, 2017 8:46 PM in response to Jfalconebmop

If you sign your Apple ID in to iCloud, then the iCloud.com email address is automatically added to your Apple ID. The act of signing into iCloud sets up iCloud. Setting up iCloud creates an iCloud email address.

I don't know what you are describing, but it sounds like you may have set up a separate Apple/iCloud ID? When you say you "chose" the iCloud.com domain, do you mean you created an iCloud.com email address manually? If so, then all you did was create a new Apple/iCloud ID. You didn't sign in your primary Apple ID into iCloud Mail.

GB

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