I am trying to get into my @mac email through my safari browser. I enter my credentials but its asking to update my Apple ID. I enter my email address to "verify email address", but it keeps giving an error message saying "You can only add the @mac.com address that is already on file in your account."
I have no idea what that means. That is my email account, so why wont it let me in?
Help please.
Thanks
iMac (21.5-inch Mid 2011), OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)
Incase anyone sees this thread, my issue and resolution was this (Call to apple support took care of it):
I had a really old appleID, from the 1990s when it was still itools. These older IDs were username/password, not email address/password. I've had my email address since .mac service started (many years ago). At some point when my older account was upgraded, my current email address was added as a verified address on my appleId. At some point later, perhaps because of a phone purchase or something, a *new* appleID got created which used my full email as my account name (not just the first half). This account also had my email address as verified. Due to some service change, I was required to update my email verification for my new account (the one I use every day, the one that I didn't realize was any different than my original account). However, when I tried to do that, the system saw my email as already belonging to another account (my ooooollllllddddd one).
The solution was to gain access to my old account (the one with just a username) and remove my email from that account. Then my newer account started working on its own.
Old account:
myUsername, verified email: myUsername@mac.com
New account
myUsername@mac.com, verified email: myUsername@mac.com
I wasn't aware these were two different accounts, the old one hadn't been accessed in years. Switching my old account over to a gmail address, it freed my main @mac email address for use with my new account. I don't know why this didn't happen before I ran into this issue this week.
Incase anyone sees this thread, my issue and resolution was this (Call to apple support took care of it):
I had a really old appleID, from the 1990s when it was still itools. These older IDs were username/password, not email address/password. I've had my email address since .mac service started (many years ago). At some point when my older account was upgraded, my current email address was added as a verified address on my appleId. At some point later, perhaps because of a phone purchase or something, a *new* appleID got created which used my full email as my account name (not just the first half). This account also had my email address as verified. Due to some service change, I was required to update my email verification for my new account (the one I use every day, the one that I didn't realize was any different than my original account). However, when I tried to do that, the system saw my email as already belonging to another account (my ooooollllllddddd one).
The solution was to gain access to my old account (the one with just a username) and remove my email from that account. Then my newer account started working on its own.
Old account:
myUsername, verified email: myUsername@mac.com
New account
myUsername@mac.com, verified email: myUsername@mac.com
I wasn't aware these were two different accounts, the old one hadn't been accessed in years. Switching my old account over to a gmail address, it freed my main @mac email address for use with my new account. I don't know why this didn't happen before I ran into this issue this week.
When I tried to reset my .mac email Apple ID, it wouldn’t allow me to use my .mac.
So what I ended up doing was using a non-apple email address as my Apple ID and linking that to my .mac email address.
So it’s weird that I have a gmail email as my login for iCloud.
Also had to use a non-apple email to log into iTunes to purchase.
Very weird.
The reason why I got this verification code issue was because iCloud Drive wasn't syncing, and so the best course of action is/was to log out of iCloud and log back in again. Good luck with that..!
It's all down to the Two-Factor Authentication system that users don't have a choice in turning off or on. Apple force users to have it on, and that's it. If it wasn't for that, we wouldn't be having this issue. Grrrr!
I now have this iCloud verification code not being sent issue on two iMacs, but they're getting old, and me being extremely cynical about how Apple conducts its business these days, I am absolutely convinced they've triggered this iCloud nonsense for models that are of a certain age.... forcing everyone to buy new. Didn't they just admit to playing around with iPhone's in a similar way? (making them slower)
I spoke to @AppleSupport on Twitter, and they suggested I go here:
I don't feel as though I should HAVE to contact them. I certainly don't wish to reset my password; it works just fine on my MacPro, iPhone and iPad Pro.
pfffft..!
This page gives more information: Two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Apple Support
Yeah, me too - I've had the same @mac email address since they switched over from iTools like 20 years ago. I get the exact same error. If I try to use one of my alias addresses (@me.com, @icloud.com) either with a message about not being allowed to use aliases, or another error. Frustrating!
Hi CheeseMan, Thank you. I don't remember itools but I've had my account since the 90s so I'm probably in the same boat. I'll give your solution a shot and report back. BTW do you know if everyone who posted on this thread will be notified of your response? Hopefully _JMAN_ and others will see it and it will work for them, too.
Just to confirm, I have received a copy of this reply to you and I’ve also seen the others, all via email. I will report back once I’ve spoken to Apple, and I’m sure it’s the only way forward.
One would expect in this day and age that Apple would have taken care of this with a few simple lines of code. I, too, have had a .mac account since the mid-90’s, and it never ceases to amaze me how Apple have confused and angered some of their more loyal and long term users. This won’t be last time they will do this either...
Um, I guess I should have asked about getting access to my old account. I'm not even getting to the next step when I use just my user name without the @mac.com.
iCloud not sending verification code
